A Better Man
by 27dayz
Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it? And just how will this journey change him? M for later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is my first Walking Dead fanfiction. I am quite excited about it as I am a huge fan of the show. This story contains large doses of Caryl, so if you don't like, don't read. Simple as that. If there are any warnings that need to be included, I will do so in notes like this. **

**EDIT: I used to open my chapters with song lyrics. I have been told that this was not approved of by the site so I am going through the chapters and removing those lyrics. I will, however include the name of the song that was previously used for this chapter. Consider it a Caryl playlist.**

**Song of the Chapter: Last Kiss - Pearl Jam**

**Thank you for your interest. I now present to you...**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Prologue: Last Kiss**

He was running, running as far and as fast as his feet could carry him. He didn't have a destination in mind. He just had to get out of the prison and away from the prying eyes and sympathetic looks. They didn't understand. They didn't realize what she had meant to him, what she had done for him in the three years since he met her. She had made him a good man, a better man, far better than who he was at the beginning…

He could hear the gentle, once-soothing sound of leaves and grass swishing around him, but they held no comfort to him now, not when her dying scream still echoed in his mind. He let out his own anguished cry, a primal sound of grief and pain.

Then he was falling, tumbling down a sharp ravine until he landed in a heap at the bottom. Wincing, he turned his head to look at the path his body had taken down the sheer side. Small trees had been snapped. Bushes and forest plants had been squished. He could even see some red flecks on some of the greenery.

Blood.

Not his, though. It was hers.

Tears flowed down his dirty, grimy cheeks.

He had seen the danger too late. A man, drenched in walker blood, cut a hole in the fence. The walkers had spilled into the yard. The original prison group lurched forward without hesitation, only thinking about the people in the cellblock, people they loved. He had shot his arrows, killing several walkers before he raced into the fray to help her. They fought side-by-side, him and her. They jabbed their knives into the walkers as if they had done it a million times. He had trained her, taught her how to fight. He had faith in her and thought that of everyone, she would be the last to fall.

But then she screamed. He turned, not finding her on his right, but finding her behind him, a walker sinking its teeth into her shoulder. He had screamed in fury, lunging forward and putting that walker down. He stood over her, protecting her. He killed anything that got too close. It ended when Tyreese sacrificed himself to close the hole. The others took care of the remaining walkers. He fell to his knees, cradling her in his arms. She was still alive and the fear in her eyes broke him. He was crying.

Then she gasped that she loved him. He said the same and then he kissed her one last time. Then she had looked at Rick, who had looked nearly as heartbroken as Daryl. Rick pulled out his revolver, but Daryl wouldn't let him take the shot. Daryl grabbed the gun, his hands shaking as he brought it close to her head. The sobs and the cries were muffled in his ears. He tried to muster the will to pull the trigger, but before he could, she reached for it. She told him that she loved him again. She said she was sorry. Then she did it. She put herself down, ensuring that she would not turn. Carol Peletier was dead. She ended her life and left him forever.

Daryl Dixon, the stoic, gruff, redneck hunter, now sobbed into the forest floor, mourning the woman who had never given up on him.

"P-please," he begged, "Please bring her back. I can't…I can't do this without her…I'd give anythin' to change it. Please change it. I love her."

He rolled over onto his back, only dimly aware of the pain in his ribs, and stared up passed the lush green canopy. He prayed to the heavens, begged them for a second chance.

"Give me another chance! Please give me another chance! Don't take her from me. I can save her! I can make it right!" he sobbed. He was exhausted and injured, both physically and emotionally, so much so that after his desperate plea, he slipped into unconsciousness, barely registering that he was lying beside a Cherokee Rose bush.

He wouldn't be when he woke up.

**TBC**

**Interested?**


	2. The Quarry

**Author's Note: First off, I would like to say how grateful I am for all of the interest in this story. The support is amazing and truly appreciated. Thank you so much. As for warning, abuse is implied in this chapter.**

**Song of the Chapter: Nobody's Hero - The Strange Familiar**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 1: The Quarry**

When Daryl Dixon opened his eyes, he was still on his back on the forest floor. He sat up. He felt fine. No walkers had gnawed on him while he was passed out and he didn't even feel the injuries he had received after falling down the ravine. He sighed. Apparently someone wanted him to live even if he didn't. He got to his feet. It was then that he realized that something was off. Instead of his leather jacket, he was wearing a dirty green sleeveless shirt and ripped up jeans. A string of squirrels was strung over his shoulder and his crossbow was at his side.

"The hell?" he wondered. He brought his hand to his head, feeling much less hair than before. Then he heard screams. He rushed towards the sound. When he was delivered from the forest, he was face-to-face with a rifle.

"Jesus," a familiar voice cursed. The rifle was lowered and Daryl was staring into the face of a man who had died a long time ago: Officer Shane Walsh. Daryl's mouth went dry as he surveyed the rest of the group. Dale was wearing his stupid hat and holding an axe. Jim stood off to the side. Rick was there. Morales. Glenn. Amy and Andrea peered around the bushes. They were either looking at him, the headless corpse, or the dead deer with a hunk of flesh bitten out of it and arrows in its hindquarters.

"What the fuck?" he breathed.

"This your deer, Son?" Dale asked. Daryl numbly walked over to it, pulling out the arrows.

"Tracked it for miles," he choked out, remembering, "Was gonna drag it to camp. Cook us up some venison."

"No way we can eat that," Shane snorted, "Would not risk that."

Daryl didn't say a word. He was trying to process all of this. It was almost as if he was back in the quarry, but that was impossible. It wasn't possible. Was he dreaming? Dead?

"You alright, Son? You look a little pale?" Dale questioned.

"Feel like I'm goin' outta my mind," Daryl managed, but before anyone could ask him what he meant, the jaws of the severed head snapped.

"Oh god," Amy gasped. Daryl loaded his bow, frustration at the ignorance of these people welling up in him and he had no idea why.

"What the hell, people?" he snapped, looking down at the head in disgust and revulsion, "It's gotta be the brain," he griped, shooting the head and walking away towards the camp.

What the fuck was happening? Was he in some fucking episode of twilight zone? He was back in the quarry with a host of people he knew to be dead. He had fucking gone back in time. How the hell could that have happened? Was he dreaming? He had to be dreaming. He pinched himself. Nothing happened. He just kept moving towards camp, his bow in hand, a string of squirrels on his shoulder, and a new bruise on his arm. What the FUCK was going on?

Then he saw her.

Suddenly he didn't care if he was dreaming or dead or crazy.

She was standing by the RV. She was wearing a hideous white blouse with black dots on it. He remembered when he and Glenn brought back something similar to the prison.

_"I hope you just brought this back to make rags," she commented, holding the offending polka dot blouse in her fingers._

_"What's wrong with it?" he asked, frowning._

_"I wouldn't be caught dead in that," she replied, dropping the shirt again, "Seriously. If I was a walker wearing that, I'd be getting that shirt off before I took a bite out of anybody."_

_"End of the bloody world and you're thinkin' 'bout fashion," he grumbled, turning to unload another box, trying desperately not to think of her as a walker or her without a shirt. He couldn't stand the thought of her being a walker and thoughts of her without a shirt generally left him heading for a very cold prison shower._

_"Ed made me wear something like it," she muttered. Instantly, he felt anger flare up at the mention of her husband._

He shook his head. She was standing there, alive, with her hand on a little blond girl's shoulder. Daryl's blood froze in his veins. Sophia. Then a large, overweight shadow moved over them. That anger flared up again. Ed Peletier was alive too.

"Daryl, slow up a bit," Shane called after him, distracting him, "Need to talk to ya."

Daryl froze. He remembered this conversation. He paused to look back at Shane.

"There was a…uh…problem in Atlanta," Shane continued.

"Merle," Daryl breathed, his heart beating wildly in his chest. If Shane, Jim, Amy, Andrea, Dale, Sophia, and Carol were alive, then that would mean his brother was alive here too. Merle was alive.

"Your brother was a danger to us all," Rick spoke up, "I'm Rick Grimes."

"Ya got somethin' to tell me?" Daryl demanded, though he knew what it was.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it," Rick said, and even now, Daryl had to admire the balls of that man, "Your brother was a danger to us all so I handcuffed him to a piece of metal on a rooftop."

"You handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there!" Daryl spat, remembering the injustice of it all.

"Yeah," Rick nodded. Daryl paced, trying to calm himself. He looked down at the squirrels. He remembered throwing them at Rick and fighting with him and Shane. Should he follow course? What good would it do? He'd be wasting time and end up in a painful chokehold. Then his eyes landed on her. Carol was watching him with apprehension, waiting for him to blow up. She was scared of him. He hated that look on her face. The fight left him. He dropped the squirrels.

He looked at the squirrels for a moment. He had not thrown them. He had altered things, changed the course of events. Was it possible to change others? Could he find Merle in Atlanta? Could he save those who died? Jim, Amy, Jacqui, Sophia, Dale, Shane, T-Dog, Lori, Merle, Andrea...Carol? He could save her. He could save them all. His heart pounded in excitement. He'd start with Merle. He'd have his big brother back and then Merle would help him. Daryl knew that he would.

"Goin' to get him," he growled, "Ya tell me where he is!"

"He'll show you, ain't that right, Rick?" Lori spoke up. Daryl hadn't even noticed her there, surrounded by the other dead members of their group. Vaguely, he wondered if she was already carrying Lil' Asskicker.

"Then let's go," Daryl snapped. Maybe this time, if he got to that roof in time, he could get to Merle before he took off.

"I'll go too," T-Dog announced, dropping the pile of logs he was carrying to the ground, "I dropped the key."

Daryl glanced over at T-Dog. Where in the past, he would have looked on the black man with derision, he now saw T-Dog with appreciation. This was the man who had died saving Carol's life in the prison.

"Fine," Daryl nodded, already walking for the truck. He ignored Rick and Lori's argument over the run into Atlanta. He had heard it all already, about the guns and the man Rick had to communicate with. He just wanted to get the show on the road. He could have his big brother back. The thought was tempting. As he impatiently waited at the truck, his eyes sought out Carol, but they quickly narrowed as her husband pulled her back towards the tents with a grip that would surely bruise her tender arms. He moved forwards, following them.

"Sittin' and gawkin' on," Ed was muttering, "Lazy, nosey woman!" he growled. Daryl heard the sound of someone falling and then the thud of a kick and a cry of pain. He rounded the corner to find Carol on the ground and Ed standing over her.

_It was a rare moment where they were able to relax. The entire group crammed together in a storage unit and to pass the time, they were discussing stupid things._

_"Worst thing to happen to me was a busted leg. Fell out of a tree," T-Dog was saying to get Carl's mind off of the massive scrape on his backside. The kid had found a bicycle in a storage unit and had tried to show off, probably for Hershel's youngest daughter, and had paid dearly for it with road rash._

_"Mine was the gunshot," Carl reminded him._

_"Me too," Rick mumbled._

_"I got hit by a car delivering pizzas," Glenn supplied, "Broken arm and three cracked ribs."_

_"Concussion and a sprained wrist," Maggie said, "Fell off a horse."_

_"Scared me half to death," Hershel muttered, "I had to get twelve stitches after the Klein's dog took a chunk out of my arm."_

_"I fell into the coffee table," Carol said softly, "Seventy stitches in total and four cracked ribs."_

_Daryl's head snapped up from the bolt he was whittling. Everyone present who knew of her husband frowned, probably knowing that Ed more than likely had 'helped' her into that table. Why the hell would she say anything now?_

_"Thankfully I've gotten a bit less clumsy since," she continued, "Stronger too, without Ed."_

_She was strong, of that much he was certain. He had never told a soul about the abuse he had suffered from his daddy, not even lying about it, yet here she was, beginning to open up about her past. It was a small step, but he had admired her for saying it out loud, even if it was only half of the truth. He too was thankful that Ed was dead. _

Daryl saw red. He flew at Ed and knocked the heavier man to the ground. Then he hit him again and again and again. His blood pounded in his ears making him oblivious to the cries and shouts around him. Then strong arms were on him, pulling him off of Ed Peletier.

"What the hell are you doing, Dixon?" Shane shouted, pushing Daryl back. Daryl wanted nothing more than to knock the superior look off of Shane's face.

"See, you're going after his brother!" Shane spat at Rick, "You bring that douchebag back here and there will be more of this shit-"

"Merle and I told ya that prick was beatin' on his wife!" Daryl raged, "Said you'd keep an eye on it. Where the fuck were ya this time?" he demanded. Shane and Rick stopped cold and looked at Ed, who was crawling to his feet, his face black and blue and bloody.

"Crazy…" Ed choked out. Daryl took advantage of Shane and Rick's shock, flying past them and grabbing Ed by the collar.

"Ya lay a hand to her again, you best be hopin' that the walkers get to ya 'fore I do," he growled into Ed's ear before Rick and Shane pulled him back. He wrenched away from them and looked to Carol, who was crying as Amy held her. His heart broke for her. She was a far cry from the woman he knew, the woman who would have fought back. He would give anything to help her be that woman again. He took a couple steps toward her, only to see her shake more. He stopped and spoke, his voice much gentler, "He hurts ya again, ya let me know, ya hear?"

Then he walked away, seething. He noticed Glenn and T-Dog by the van. For a moment, he thought about abandoning the trip to Atlanta. Leaving Carol here with her husband made his stomach feel uncomfortable, but then so did the thought of leaving his brother. Did he really love her more than Merle?

He dismissed the thought. It was just a different kind of love. He would head to Atlanta. He'd try to find Merle and even if he didn't, he was comforted by the fact that Ed Peletier had less than twelve hours to live. Then, in twenty-four hours, he would watch, hopefully with Merle at his side, as Carol drove a pickaxe through the bastard's brain again and again and again.

Some things he would change, but as for others, well, he wouldn't mind at all if some things stayed the same.

The thought brought a grin to his face. For the first time in his life, he was in complete control.

**TBC**

**So here's the second chapter. Daryl's back in time and realizing that he has the power to change things...of course great power comes with great responsibility.**


	3. Atlanta

**Author's Note: Once again, the support for this story has been amazing! Thanks so much. I feel so inspired! **

**Song of the Chapter: Turnaround - Low Level Flight**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 2: Atlanta**

**_'Merle. Either stay here or drive back to camp. Daryl.' _**Daryl quickly scrawled the note on a piece of paper and left it on the driver's seat of the cube van.

"What were you doing?" Rick demanded as the four men broke into a run towards the city.

"Just checkin' somethin'," Daryl lied. The note was a little bit of insurance just in case Daryl didn't make it to the roof in time. This way, if Merle came for the van, he would find the note and know that his brother expected him. It was perfect. He should have done this the first time.

"Where are we headed first?" T-Dog gasped, "Merle or the guns?"

"Merle. We ain't even havin' this conversation," Daryl snapped back.

"Glenn?" Rick asked the Korean.

"Merle's first," Glenn replied, "Guns means doubling back."

Satisfied, Daryl kept running alongside them towards the building his brother was cuffed to. He hoped that he was early enough to stop Merle from severing his own hand, or at the very least, early enough to find Merle at the stove cauterizing his own wound. He smiled to himself. At least he had left the note. Merle would come back for him now that he knew Daryl was looking. They entered the building and Daryl took the stairs two at a time. He had to get there. When T-Dog cut the chain, Daryl was the first one through the door.

"Merle!" he called his brother's name, but as he rounded the metal pipe, his heart sunk in his chest. There they were: bloody handcuffs dripping blood on the cement beside his brother's severed hand.

"NO! NO!" he screamed, crying out. He was too late to stop it. He sank to his knees.

"He can't have gone far with an injury like that," Rick was saying, "We can look-"

"We'll find him," Daryl said savagely, "We'll find him," he said, picking up his brother's hand by the pinky finger, "Ya got a rag?" he demanded of T-Dog. T handed him a blue rag and he proceeded to wrap the hand inside it. Then he stuffed it inside Glenn's backpack, ignoring the revolted look on the kid's face.

"Let's go," he snarled, following Merle's blood trail. He didn't look to see it they were following. He followed it down into the familiar office building, taking out the walker there before noting the two dead walkers.

"Tough son-of-a-bitch my brother," Daryl said proudly, "Took out two walkers one-handed."

"Any man can die of blood loss," Rick reminded him, "no matter how tough he is."

"Nobody can kill Merle but Merle," Daryl growled. He knew how his brother died and it was not in Atlanta. It was in an abandoned building, sacrificing himself to try to destroy an army to give Daryl a chance at winning the war. He went deeper into the building and the smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils.

"Ugh, what is that?" Glenn gagged.

"Burnt flesh," Rick replied grimly.

"Merle!" Daryl cried. He saw the stove with the flesh-covered iron. He saw the broken window. He felt like someone had punched him in the gut all over again.

"He can't have gone far," Rick said fairly, "We can help you search a couple blocks around here, but we might not find him-"

"I'll find him!" Daryl snapped, going over to the window.

"Daryl, wait!" Rick caught his arm. For the first time in ages, Daryl thought about hitting Rick.

"Get off of me!" he snarled.

"If you go running out there half-cocked, we're all done for," Rick told him, "I understand what you're going through. I went through hell finding my family. I'll help you find yours, but we have to stand together. You have to keep a level head."

Daryl breathed. Before, when this happened to him the first time, he had been tempted to snap that he was better off alone. Now, he knew better. He knew that he needed people, "I can do that."

"Look, I'm all for helping out," T-Dog said, "but before we start searching, we ought to get that back of guns. I'm not running all over Atlanta with nothing but my good intentions."

"Fine," Daryl mumbled, "Plans?"

Except he knew the plan was for him and Glenn to take the alley. Rick and T-Dog would be in another one. Glenn would get the guns, but then he would get kidnapped by Felipe and the Vatos. He racked his brain for a way to get all of that shit taken care of as fast as possible. He had to beat Merle to the cube van. He just didn't see a way to change it. Maybe the answer to saving his brother was with the one of the men his brother now most assuredly loathed.

"T-Dog ought to stick with me. If we have to, we can cover Glenn," Daryl spoke up.

"What about Rick?" Glenn asked, frowning.

"Rick's a good enough shot that he could cover that alley himself. 'Sides if Glenn does head up to the other alley, the last thing we need is three men trippin' over each other," Daryl explained, hoping that sufficed. If he had an extra person in his alley, he might be able to avoid the confrontation with the Vatos.

"We'll have three people tripping up either way," T-Dog frowned.

"I'm fine alone," Rick spoke up, "It's better if I have more mobility in my alley so I can avoid firing. We don't want to draw any more walkers than we have to."

"Alright, then I'll try to head to Rick's alley then if I can," Glenn decided.

When they took their positions, Rick jogged to his spot and T-Dog, Glenn, and Daryl positioned themselves behind the chain-link fence. Then Glenn took off, running through the streets and dodging walkers. True to form, a skinny little Spanish kid in a wife-beater shirt crept up behind them. Once again, Daryl had the teenager in his sights and once again, the kid was screaming for help in Spanish.

"Shut up!" Daryl snarled, pinning the kid to the wall. He heard the screeching of tires. Felipe and Jorge were coming to rescue Miguel.

"Oh shit!" T-Dog breathed. Daryl released Miguel and flung him towards the other men.

"He your man? Take him!" Daryl said, glaring at the two men, who caught Miguel in surprise.

"The guns are gone!" Jorge informed them, "You know where they went?" he demanded.

"Ya ain't in a position to be making demands," Daryl growled. Groans from behind the Spanish men caused them to jump. The appearance of Rick and Glenn with the bag of guns only stunned the men more. Daryl fired, killing a walker about to chew into Felipe.

"Come on!" Rick shouted to them, running back down the alley. None of them needed to be told twice. Daryl, Glenn, Rick, T-Dog, and the three vatos members took off in the same direction, running for the office building where the four men had planned their attack. The men panted in exhaustion, but Daryl mustered the strength to hoist his bow. It was fucking hot and this body of his past self was nowhere near as physically fit as it could be. It was a good thing he raised the bow as Felipe hoisted his bat.

"That's our bag of guns!" the heavy-set man shouted.

"It's mine," Rick said evenly, drawing his own gun and pointing it at Felipe.

"Was ours!" Miguel cried, "Gonna take 'em back to Guillermo!"

"Shut up, Miguel!" Jorge snapped.

"Back off!" Rick snapped again. The Spanish men seemed to know when they were cornered. Glenn and T-Dog had grabbed handguns from the bag and were pointing them at the three men as well. Felipe dropped the bat.

"Listen, Man, don't shoot us!" he pleaded, "We was just gettin' them guns."

"I brought 'em here and we got 'em back," Rick said, "They're ours."

"We need 'em," Miguel begged, wincing as Daryl's arrow-tip touched the side of his head.

"Guns are worth more than gold 'round here," Daryl reminded him, "Ain't no way we're givin' that up. Ya best get on ya way!"

"But…but…" Miguel looked desperate. Felipe's shoulders sagged.

"We're desperate," he admitted, "We keep getting attacked. We need those guns to protect…" at this he hesitated. Daryl remembered the elderly lady in the garage. He remembered Guillermo the custodian who stayed to take care of the old folks. He lowered his bow slightly.

"Protect who?" Glenn asked. Jorge was the one who answered.

"We holed up at an old folks home with some old ones," he said, "We've fended off so many attacks from so many awful people. We need the guns. We need to protect them."

"Old folks home?" Glenn repeated, "Are you for real?"

"We'll take you there," Felipe said, "We'll show you."

Rick bit his lip, considering it for a moment. A selfish part of Daryl prayed that Rick would refuse, but of course, this was Rick they were talking about, "Fine. Any funny business and we won't hesitate."

They then allowed the men to lead them to the Vatos headquarters. Daryl pushed aside the frustration for Rick's decision. Rick was a good man, a fair and loyal one. For a long time, Daryl had thought that was lost. Daryl mused that part of the reason he had changed in the last three years was in part becoming worthy of Rick's respect and trust. He found himself wanting to be better. Maybe that worked both ways. Even when Rick went off of the deep end, maybe part of the reason he came back was because Daryl and the others had become good, fair, loyal people who hadn't given up on him. In that moment, Daryl decided that no matter how frustrating Rick's choices could be, he would follow him as loyally as he always had.

Guillermo came out to greet them, looking just as Daryl remembered him, "That my bag of guns?"

"G, we told them about the old ones," Felipe admitted. Guillermo scowled.

"You what?" he hissed.

"We aren't a threat, as long as it's true," Rick said fairly, "If it is, we will give you enough guns to protect yourself, but not all of them. We have people to protect too. Women and children."

Guillermo considered this for a moment, "How can we trust you?"

"They saved our lives, G," Miguel spoke up, "They coulda left us to the walkers, but they didn't."

Rick pulled a handgun from the bag and held it out to Guillermo, "A little good faith," he said. Guillermo took it and nodded. They were led through the garage and into the old folks home. They saw the old ones. Rick gave away a portion of their guns. Daryl stood silent, knowing that they would collect their guns a couple days later, after the Vatos fell to some unknown enemy. There was nothing he could do. He did not know how it went down. Aside from telling them to stay alert, there was nothing he could do for them.

But even Daryl realized that they had saved time. Daryl smirked to himself. He had changed something for the better. They would be getting back sooner. As he, Glenn, T-Dog, and Rick ran back to the van, the sun was higher up in the sky than it had been the first time.

"Admit it. You only came back to Atlanta for the hat," Glenn teased.

"Don't tell anybody," Rick replied with a smile. Then they stopped cold. Daryl saw why. His heart plummeted in his chest and the smirk fell from his face.

"Where's our van?" T-Dog asked in some bad parody of 'Dude, where's our car'.

"Somebody took it," Rick answered.

"Who would do that?" Glenn asked. Rick's jaw clenched as he turned to Daryl.

"Merle."

"He'll be takin' some vengeance back to camp," Daryl choked out. They took off running. Daryl had one thought left. Merle went back to camp. He had to. He had to go back there. Daryl had told him to. Merle wouldn't abandon him again, not now, knowing that Daryl was out there looking for him. This time would be different. It had to be.

Daryl was in control here. He had the knowledge to change things. Merle would be at camp. He knew that Merle would be back there. Daryl had changed it.

Hadn't he?

**TBC**

**So Merle was nowhere to be found...maybe he's at camp? This chapter was kind of a pain to write as I had to try to match dialogue, so sorry if it seems a bit rushed.**


	4. Unpleasant Surprises

**Author's Note: Thanks to all that have reviewed so far! I have to especially thank DarkAngelsShadow for the questions in the review which made me go back and consider Amy more closely.**

**Note: This chapter contains lots of violence, blood, and gore. Hints at a miscarriage are also implied. If those things bother you, proceed with caution. **

**Song of the Chapter: Better Man - Pearl Jam**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 3: Unpleasant Surprises**

They jogged towards the camp. Daryl pushed himself more than this body was willing to be pushed. He knew what would happen in the quarry. They had to get there. Maybe they could save lives. Hell, if they got there early enough no one would die. If not, then maybe they would only lose the ones at the beginning. At the very least, he would be there to protect Carol. Once she was safe and protected, then he would focus on Jim and Amy. He tried to envision how different things would be if they lived, but it hurt his brain a little. He did know that Andrea would not be contemplating suicide at the CDC and that alone was incentive enough for him to help her sister. Andrea had grown to be a dear friend to him and he had cared for her like a sister. He had admired her desire to prevent a war between the prison and Woodbury, even if it was merely a pipe dream. He supposed that it was because she hadn't let the end of the world change her for the worst. Even at the end of her life, she had wanted peace. He shook his head and kept running. He would save as many as he could, of course, but his focus would be Carol, Amy, and Jim.

His hopes of making it back before hell broke loose were dashed when a scream filled the air. They rounded the corner and saw their group circled around the fire, screaming as Shane, Morales, and Jim surged forward to protect. He could see Carol holding Sophia close as she tried to stay behind Lori and Shane.

"AMY!"

Andrea's scream chilled Daryl to the bone. He hadn't realized that Amy was among the first to get attacked. He cursed. As he and Rick ran for the campfire, he noticed the younger blond on the ground beside the RV, cradling her bloody arm as another walker advanced. Andrea was scrambling to get to her. Daryl reacted, hoisting his gun and taking the shot, killing the walker just before it tore into the girl's neck. He surged towards her, shooting the walkers advancing. Andrea was doing the same, but she reached her sister first, falling to her knees beside Amy as the young girl cried in fear and pain. Daryl hovered near them, firing at the incoming dead.

"To Daryl!" Rick yelled, directing the others towards the RV. They made a tight circle. Rick had given Morales a gun and together with Dale, Shane, and Daryl, they kept the walkers at bay. Glenn, T-Dog, and Jim were running about the camp, shooting at anything undead.

When the gun smoke cleared and the moans ceased, only sobs filled the night. They had still lost a good portion of their group, even with their timely arrival. Andrea and Amy were crying.

"It hurts!" Amy moaned, "It's on fire! Andrea, help me!" she sobbed into her older sister, but Andrea looked to be at a loss.

"There has to be a way!" Andrea looked desperately to the rest of the group, but they were bowing their heads and looking on in sympathy. No one had an answer. Daryl, however, was thinking of one name: Hershel Greene.

"Andrea, you know what a bite means-" Shane started, but Daryl cut across him.

"I know somethin' that might work," he announced, grabbing the axe near the woodpile.

"What are you doing?" Andrea demanded, shielding her sister from him. She was scared that he'd kill Amy. It occurred to him that he still might.

"It's a long shot, but if we can stop the infection from spreading, she might have a chance," Daryl explained, now taking off his belt, "It's the only way to save her or else she'll die."

Andrea looking conflicted, but it was Amy who came around her, "Please! Anything, please!" the younger girl begged. He looked at the wound. The fucker that got her had taken out a chunk of her forearm just a couple inches below her elbow.

"How? How do we do stop the infection?" Rick spoke up, approaching as Daryl quickly looped the belt above Amy's elbow.

"Pull the belt tight as ya can, Andrea," he directed the blond who numbly did as she was told.

"Daryl-"

"Rick, ya gotta hold her down. We gotta take the arm off," Daryl admitted grimly.

"What?" Andrea gasped at the same time her sister whimpered.

"Her blood's gonna take the infection to the rest of her body," Daryl quickly explained, "It we take the arm, it stops it from happenin'. If ya want her to have a chance at livin', the arm needs to come off."

Andrea looked to Amy, who was wide-eyed, but she nodded slightly. Andrea turned back to Daryl, "Do it."

"Wait-"

Shane and Dale's frantic shouts were cut off as Daryl brought the axe down just below Amy's elbow. Her arm was successfully removed from her body in one swing. She screamed and jerked, but Rick and Andrea held her tight. For a moment, he wondered if he should have cut higher, but the joint would be important to have.

"What now?" Rick demanded, gently supporting Amy's head as she attempted to thrash in pain. That was the question. Daryl was no doctor and stitching it would not be an option. He looked to the skillet in the fire. Shit.

"Andrea, calm her down!" Daryl commanded, "We're gonna have to cauterize it and it'll be better if she's calm!"

Andrea and Rick attempted to soothe her, tell her it would all be alright. As Daryl looked to the skillet, he wondered just how alright it would be. They could still lose Amy. He knew that. This entire thing could be for nothing. He waited until Amy quit moving. She was staring with pleading blue eyes up at her sister. She looked terrified, but she was calm her. Daryl looked to the others. Dale looked like he was about to pass out.

"Listen, we're gonna need bandages and as much antibiotics as possible. We need 'em now!" he barked before grabbing the skillet. He hated himself a little as he approached, but the good part was that Amy hadn't seen him. He took a breath as he took in the bloody stump. He was thankful that he had seen worse while hunting because he was sure that the exposed bone and stringy arteries and veins would have caused a weaker man's stomach to turn. He mentally counted to three and placed the red-hot skillet to the remaining bit of her arm. The smell was horrible, ten times worse than the residual smell in the office building in Atlanta where Merle cauterized his own wound. Amy screamed louder even than when he had amputated her arm. It was a scream that he was sure would haunt him to his dying day. Then it stopped. Amy had passed out. He continued to press the pan to her arm. When it cooled, it slipped from her flesh. When it pulled back he noticed the shiny red seal over her arm. No more blood flowed out. It was sealed.

"Oh god!" Andrea gasped, wrenching away and vomiting. Rick looked like he wasn't far behind.

"Here's the first aid kit," Shane said. He was white with shock. Daryl nodded and set to work bandaging the wound. He had bandaged enough of his own wounds to know how and when he was done, he looked to Andrea.

"Gonna move her to the RV. She lost a lot of blood and I dunno if we were in time or not," he mumbled to her, "She has a chance, but she could still…"

He trailed off as Andrea nodded.

"I got her," Shane volunteered, gently scooping Amy up. Daryl was grateful that he did. He wasn't sure if he could have found it in him to move the girl. He looked over to the other. Carol and Lori had their children's heads buried into their chests. Dale pushed by him and followed Shane, Andrea, and Amy into the RV without a word. The rest just stared at him. He supposed that he was a sight, covered in Amy's blood and who knows what else. He turned away from their prying eyes. All he saw was destruction. Bodies were scattered all around. Tents were demolished.

Daryl then noticed that there was no cube van.

No Merle.

Merle wasn't here. He had left, knowing that his brother expected him to return. Daryl sunk to his knees. He had though, expected, that Merle would see the note and do the right things. Daryl had though he could change his brother's fate, but he hadn't. Merle was still lost.

Then he realized that the Merle he had expected was the one who had tried to take out the Governor. The Merle in this time, in the first days of the apocalypse, was injured and probably either strung out or coming off whatever high he had been on. He probably tossed the note aside. In his state of mind, he probably didn't care that his only living relative was aching right now. Daryl bowed his head.

He was a fool for thinking that he was in control. He was a fool for thinking he could change anything. Maybe this was punishment. Maybe this was some divine way of punishing him by making him relive all of this, knowing he couldn't do a damn thing about it. Sure, he had helped Amy, but dammit, the girl had lost so much blood. Her heart would probably give out to the shock. She would still die and now he would be directly responsible for that. He was an idiot. He couldn't change the past. He looked to Carol, who was still holding Sophia close to her. They would die and he could do nothing to stop it.

"Goddamn it," a voice cursed. It took a second for Daryl to place it. Then he watched as Ed Peletier stepped into view, alive, breathing, and in relatively one piece. His face was rearranged from Daryl's beating that morning, a myriad of colours, but he was alive.

Daryl's mouth gaped open. How in the hell was Ed Peletier still alive? Had his actions allowed Ed to live? He barely registered Rick and Shane's orders to start gathering bodies. He thought back, scanning his brain. In the original timeline, Shane had been the one to beat Ed to a pulp. Ed had been in his tent, licking his wounds. Carol had told him that. She had said she had to throw the tent out. He had beaten Ed earlier in the day. Had that meant that Ed had been at the fish fry when the attack happened?

Had he saved Ed Peletier's life?

He felt ill.

_He stared at her, sitting on the prison cot, clutching her legs to her chest. He felt ill._

_"It…I…" he didn't have words. He didn't know what to say. She beat him to it._

_"It's not the first time, Daryl," she told him, her voice soft, "I'll be alright. I should have thought. I shouldn't have assumed…"_

_"Ain't ya fault," he said immediately. She managed a weak smile, even though the tears streamed down her cheeks._

_"After Sophia…I had three miscarriages. All three happened after Ed got drunk or mad or whatever. After a while, I stopped getting pregnant all together. My doctor told me that blunt force trauma causes scarring on the uterus. She said it would be almost impossible for me to get pregnant again," she revealed to him, rendering him speechless once more, "I believed her and I was the one that said we didn't have to worry about that. It's my own fault that I got pregnant. I think I was half expecting to lose it anyways."_

_"Ain't ya fault," he repeated, falling to his knees beside her bed, reaching for her hand and clinging to it for dear life, "Ain't no one shoulda had to go through it at all…" he choked out, bowing his head so that his forehead rested against her side. He felt her run her hands through his hair._

_"I had deluded myself," she told him, "I convinced myself that I still loved him, even that I deserved it all. Looking back now…I wish that I had taken her and left him. I just couldn't find it in me to be brave enough to do it. I told myself it didn't matter as long as he didn't hurt Sophia," she sighed, "Come on. Join me."_

_"Don't wanna hurt ya," he mumbled, but he moved onto the cot with her. She looked at him, her face close to his._

_"You never could, Daryl," she said, "I will be alright. I'm stronger now. I will be alright."_

_"Love ya," he whispered to her. He did love her, so much so that he wished Ed Peletier alive just so he could kill the bastard with his own bare hands for what the asshole did to her._

_"I love you too."_

Daryl clenched his teeth. Maybe he had got his wish, just like he had granted his other wish, the one where he wanted to change things. Maybe he would get to beat Ed to death. He got to his feet, intending to do just that. What right did Ed Peletier have to walk this earth when a good girl like Amy was probably going to die? It wasn't right and with everything that had happened, being abandoned by Merle, fighting the undead hordes, and cutting off Amy's arm, Daryl felt nothing but anger and frustration course through him. He approached the group, clearly intending to kill when Rick stepped in front of him, asking him to make sure those attacked wouldn't turn. Daryl accepted the pick axe numbly. He wanted so badly to drive it into Ed's skull, but he had the sense to figure, as Sophia and Carol cowered, that the action could terrify the woman he wanted to protect. Instead he went about his task with gust, trying to work off the tension and contemplating ways to make Ed's death look like an accident.

"D-Daryl?"

He paused, nearly dropping the axe. It was dawn, now and he hadn't even realized it. She was standing before him against a sunrise. She was still in the god awful blouse from the night before, but dammit, he still thought Carol Peletier looked like a vision. He couldn't see Ed or Sophia around.

"Ya alright?" Daryl asked her. She nodded.

"Do you think it will work? Will Amy be alright?" she asked. Once again, she was more concerned for others that for herself.

"I dunno," he said honestly, "Seen it done once and the guy survived, but this…this was different."

"At least you tried."

"For all the good it'll do," he muttered. For a moment they stood there in an awkward silence. Her eyes dropped from his. She was nervous, he realized as she chewed on her lower lip, unsure of her next words.

"I just wanted…yesterday morning…you stepped in…I…"

"Maybe I shoulda minded my own damn business," he grumbled, thinking that instead of this conversation, he could be watching her smash her husband's head in.

"No," she protested, catching him off guard, "I'm thank-…no one else here would've done it."

She looked down as she said it. He wanted nothing more than to reassure her, tell her that it would be okay.

"Ya don't need him, ya know," Daryl said instead. A tear trickled down her face.

"He's my husband."

"He don't own you," Daryl murmured low enough for only her to hear, "Ya deserve so much better than him. Ya say the word and I'll-"

He was cut off by a trampling sound. Ed was returning through the brush, zipping up his pants. Carol cast Daryl one last gaze before she left to join her husband. Daryl watched her go feeling utterly helpless again. He hated it. He picked up the pick axe and lifted it high above his head. He brought it down hard on the corpse, much harder than it needed to be. He continued on to other corpses. Each of his hits was harder than the last.

Sorry, Amy. _Splat!_

Fuck you, Merle. _Splat!_

You're gonna die, Ed. _Splat!_

Gonna make you see what you deserve, Carol. _Splat!_

Gonna make that asshole regret ever touching you, Sweetheart. _Splat!_

"Jim's been bit! He's bit!" Jacqui suddenly cried out. Daryl paused. He hadn't even prevented that! Hell, he hadn't even considered Jim! He had done everything wrong! He didn't find Merle, he couldn't help the Vatos, he didn't save Jim, Amy was going to die because of him, and he was the reason that fucking Ed Peletier still lived!

"Fuck!" Daryl cursed aloud as he brought the pick axe down again with another _splat!_

The group circled around Jim. The wound on his upper stomach was revealed.

"What do we do?" Lori wondered, rubbing the tops of her arms. Rick and Shane glanced at each other. Daryl scoffed bitterly.

"He's bit. Ain't nothin' we can do 'bout that," he spat.

"Couldn't we try what you did with Amy?" Rick asked, desperation in his voice. Daryl groaned.

"Where do you fuckin' want me to chop?" he asked angrily, "Neck? It's been too long! He's already got that fever! We put him down!" he yelled, no longer the master of his temper. He swung the pick axe, only to be halted by Rick's gun against his head.

"He's a living man," Rick argued, "We do not kill the living!"

"Kinda funny comin' from the man holdin' a gun to my head!" Daryl griped, throwing the axe across the camp, "It's what I'd want!"

"Seriously, Man?" Shane asked, his eyebrows raised, "You'd seriously want someone to brain you if you were bit?"

"And I'd thank you while you did it!" Daryl snapped at him, "I'd rather die than become one of those things! I think any person here would!"

He glanced over at the RV, where no doubt Andrea was watching over her sister. He knew that in the future, she would shoot herself with Rick's gun. Jacqui would opt out without being bit. Dale would be practically begging with his eyes for Daryl to euthanize him on the farm. Lori would beg Maggie to put her down, only it would be Carl who would pull the trigger. Carol would…

He kicked a coffee tin across the camp in anger and frustration and stormed off into the trees. He needed to calm down. He needed to find a way to calm himself before he went insane. Back in the prison, in that last year there, he had finally found the way to calm himself. Carol had shown him how…

_He stormed into the prison, dropping the infant formula on the counter before grabbing his knife and fleeing to the tombs. Going for runs with some of the new Woodbury folks was taxing. They were damn sheltered little pussies. They caused more trouble than they were worth and the way some of them looked at him…fuck, he felt like he was back in his hometown where the mere mention of a Dixon sent people running in the other direction. He was looked upon as if he was dangerous, as if he needed to be avoided. He, who had saved these fucking people from that lunatic governor. On top of all of that there was this run. He well knew that this apocalypse shit didn't just affect adults, but seeing those little ones there in the cots, those small, decaying, hungry bodies was too much._

_After everything, all he wanted was an escape. He needed to vent, but not even venturing into the tombs could let him blow off steam. The tombs were cleared out. He needed to find a place he could trash, destroy… a place away from prying eyes._

_"Daryl?" her voice stilled him. He looked back at her._

_"What d'ya want?" he snapped._

_"What happened?" she asked, "Are you okay?"_

_"Leave me be," he snarled turning away and storming down the hall. He heard her footsteps following him and he snapped, "What part of that don't you get? I wanna be left alone!"_

_"Daryl, it's okay to be upset. Tyreese told me-"_

_"He told you what?" Daryl demanded, spinning around again._

_"Daryl, I know you're frustrated and with what happened on the run, it's okay to be upset, but once you're done, you need to come back to us. You can't pull away," she said gently._

_"And why not?" Daryl wondered._

_"We need you. I need you," Carol admitted, reaching out to touch his arm. He glanced down at her hand on him. He moved away._

_"Fine. But you can't be here."_

_"Daryl, if you need someone-"_

_"No. You can't be here. Way I'm…way I'm stewin', I could do somethin' or say somethin' and hurt ya. Can't let that happen."_

_"I can take it," she said, stepping close to him, "Trust me."_

_She was inches away from him. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he did trust her. Then, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, only an inch or so from his lips. All he had to do was turn his head. When she started to pull away, he did turn his head. The feel of her lips against his skin ignited him and he didn't want it to stop. His lips caught hers and then his mind caught up to him and he pulled back._

_Their first kiss._

_"Shouldn'ta done that…" he mumbled, turning away. She caught his arm, stopping him. She closed the distance again, placing her lips to his again. He stood frozen, for a moment before he reacted, sloppily, clumsily, and far too quickly. She slowed him down, gently pulling her head back a little to remind him that she also needed to breathe. Then she pulled away just enough so that her forehead rested on his._

_"It's okay," she whispered to him. He wanted to believe her, but he couldn't._

_"Ain't good enough…" he gasped._

_"Yes, you are," she assured him, "You're a good man, Daryl."_

_"You deserve better."_

_"You're the best, Daryl. If anything, you deserve better than an old woman-"_

_He kissed her again, pulling her to him as though his life depended on it._

Daryl sank against a tree. She was always there, ready to pull him back, comfort him, let him vent. Now, he was in the middle of some fucked up alternate reality where he was all alone. His brother had left him, willingly, as it appeared. The woman he loved was in the possession of her brute of a husband who should have been long dead. The rest of the camp had been avoiding him all morning on account of what he had done to Amy. He had no one.

"Mr. Daryl?" a young voice asked him. He looked up to see Sophia standing above him.

"Ya should be with ya momma kid," he told her grumpily.

"I know, but Momma wanted me to give Daddy some space," Sophia replied softly, scuffing the dirt with her shoe. Daryl frowned. Carol had told him once that she didn't care if Ed beat on her as long as he didn't touch Sophia.

"Well stay by the group, then. Don't go wanderin' off," he scolded. She nodded and turned to go. Then she stopped and looked back at him.

"What about you?" she asked, "You should be with the group too."

He frowned, blinking as he watched the girl walk back towards her mother. It would seem that Sophia was as insistent as her mother when it came to keeping him focused on the group. He would watch over them, of that he was certain. He sighed, hauling himself to his feet. He ended up running into Glenn.

"What d'ya want, Short Round?" Daryl asked tiredly.

"Wanted to give you this," Glenn said, holding out the hand that had been put in his backpack. Daryl took it, gently cradling his brother's hand in both of his.

"What are ya givin' it to me for?" he mumbled.

"You're kidding, right?" Glenn asked incredulously, "He was your brother and I don't want to carry that thing around anymore. Now I need a new pack."

"I meant what am I supposed to do with it," Daryl clarified. Glenn shrugged.

"Bury it?" he suggested before walking away.

Later that day, when they were lowering the dead into the graves, Daryl dug a small hole away from the others. He placed the hand and the blood-soaked bandana into the hole and covered it up.

"Thanks a lot, Brother," he mumbled to himself, "I tried to help ya. I left ya a note. Ya abandoned me. Suppose I should be used to all that by now, but dammit I know what you're capable of. I know that deep down, ya care," tears filled his eyes as he continued, "I care 'bout ya too, Brother. I know I'll see ya again, but fuck, I don't think I have it in me to lose ya again! Don't make me lose ya again."

He buried his face in his hands and then looked out at the view from the ridge, feeling every bit as morose as everyone else this time around.

**TBC**

**Woa. Totally revamped this chapter. Originally, Amy was just going to die as per the show, but as I said above, a couple reviews had me thinking a little longer on her and now her fate is up in the air. Also, I had to add the bit at the end with Daryl burying Merle's hand when I realized that Glenn was ****_still_**** carrying around the severed hand. Ick. **

**I'm sure some of you are disappointed that Merle was not at camp, but don't worry as I have some big plans for him. The reasoning for his leaving was that it would cause Daryl some self-doubt after proclaiming himself to be in complete control of everything in the past. That's the reason for Ed living as well (even though he isn't likely to last long with an extremely pissed Daryl Dixon around). The point is that Daryl isn't in as much control as he thinks. I'm in control, hehehe.**

**Anyways, would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.**


	5. Underground

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. We're moving on to the CDC now with an injured Amy in tow and a Daryl waiting to take out the trash.**

**Note: This chapter contains implied sexual abuse. **

**Song of the chapter: The Sun Will Rise - Kelly Clarkson**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 4: Underground**

Daryl could see that everyone was tense as they approached the CDC. After leaving Jim on the highway, a sense of hopelessness had overtaken the group. The Morales family was gone and many had gone with them, noticing and choosing to avoid the rising tensions between Rick and Shane. Amy slipped in and out of consciousness, but now she had stopped responding to her sister. She was alive, but for who knew how long. The move was hard on her and that was hard on everyone else. To Daryl, it seemed even worse than it had the first time. The first time, Daryl had been an outsider, simply looking in on other peoples suffering. This time, he was more. He truly cared about the wellbeing of these people and he understood all too well how close they were to breaking.

He glanced to Carol more and more, but she barely made eye contact with him. Ed always hovered around her, watching her every move, but there were no visible signs of abuse. There were no bruises and Carol did not seem to favour any particular part of her body. Maybe Ed had taken Daryl's threat seriously and would behave himself. As bad as it was, Daryl was hoping that Ed would slip up. One unexplained mark on Carol or Sophia and Daryl would make good on his promise to make Ed wish for walkers to tear into him. Then as Daryl pulled up behind the Peletier's Cherokee he had an interesting thought. Perhaps Ed could get trapped in the CDC as it explodes. That thought alone served to cheer Daryl up a little and he felt a bit better about continuing on the course to the CDC.

Though he knew that the CDC would yield nothing for the group except a place to stay for the night and then a few singed hairs tomorrow, he did know that their stop there was important. It was where Rick would learn that they were all infected, something that needed to happen. It was also an experience he knew that they could and would survive. Besides, it was a place to crash and perhaps Jenner could help with Amy.

They got out of their vehicles, ready to cross the lot to the gigantic building. Daryl noted Shane, who clearly believed that this was a bad idea. Rick looked like a man searching for water, desperate to believe he was right. Daryl waited until Rick had strolled up to him.

"Listen, Man, no matter what happens, we gotta get in there," Daryl muttered to him, "It's almost nightfall and we need to hole up here."

"That's pretty much the plan," Rick said tersely.

"You carry Amy. I'll cover you," Daryl instructed. Hell, maybe the injured girl would earn them sympathy points with Jenner. The group ran forward. Rick passed Amy off to Dale, who struggled to support her, but Andrea was there helping. Then Rick was pounding with all his might on the door. His screams turned desperate when the steel doors did not open. Shane tried to pull him away while the rest of the group panicked. Carl and Sophia were crying out as their mothers held them close. People were shouting and scared. Daryl cursed as he noticed the walkers, letting arrows fly into incoming corpses.

"You're killing us!" Rick screamed, "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!"

More screams from their group made Daryl long for the future, where these people would become warriors fighting to live. Then the survivors were bathed in light and like moths, they flocked to it. Daryl helped Dale with Amy, scooping the blond girl into his arms. She weighed next to nothing. As before, they were greeted by the shifty doctor with thinning hair.

"Anyone bit?" Jenner demanded.

"One of our group was," Rick said, "He didn't make it. This girl, Amy, her arm was bit, but we amputated it thinking it might save her. She needs medical attention."

Jenner frowned, eyeing the girl in Daryl's arms, but Daryl did notice that his interest was piqued. Maybe he didn't realize that there was a way to save someone who was bit.

"Why are you here and what do you want?" Jenner demanded, pointing his gun at them.

"A chance," Rick replied.

"That's asking an awful lot these days," Jenner said, "Price of admission is a blood test. And I want to monitor her," he added, gesturing to Amy.

"We can do that," Rick agreed on behalf of the group.

"Grab your things. Once this door closes, it stays closed," Jenner ordered. Daryl smirked, feeling a little cocky because he knew just how wrong the good doctor was. The group followed Jenner through to the elevator.

"Do doctors always go around packing heat?" Daryl asked smartly. Jenner shrugged.

"There were plenty left lying around. I familiarized myself, but you look harmless enough," he paused, smiling down at Carl, "Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you."

Daryl almost snorted. Good luck, Jenner. The kid's own momma and daddy couldn't keep an eye on him. They followed Jenner down into the basement.

"Are we underground?" Carol questioned, bowing her head a little as Ed glared over at her. Daryl then remembered that she didn't like tight places.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner asked.

"A little," she said softly, her head still bowed.

"Try not to think about it," Jenner advised her, "Vi, bring up the lights to the big room. Welcome to zone 5."

"Where is everybody? The other doctors, the staff?" Rick wondered.

"I'm it," Jenner sighed, "It's just me here."

Then he proceeded to demonstrate Vi, the automated system.

"I'm all that's left."

Then he led them to a room Daryl didn't remember. It was an infirmary and it was stocked.

"Place her on the bed," Jenner instructed and Daryl complied.

"She's been in and out of consciousness," Andrea explained as Jenner unwrapped Amy's stump, "We've been changing the bandages and trying to keep it clean."

"Well, cauterization is risky," Jenner sighed, "There's a huge risk of infection. Whose idea was this?"

"Mine," Daryl was ready to take the blame if he had to.

"Well, it stopped the blood loss, but she is quite warm to the touch. How long ago was she bit?" Jenner questioned as he stuck a thermometer under Amy's tongue.

"Day and a half ago," Rick answered. Jenner frowned as he read the thermometer.

"What is it?" Andrea asked frantically.

"Her fever should be at fatal levels at this point," Jenner replied, amazed, "especially if you've haven't had any means to cool her."

"I've been dabbing her face-"

"That's what I meant," Jenner said shortly, moving to a freezer in the corner, "These are leftover ice bags from when we were trying to treat bitten victims. If we can cool her down, we might be able to save her. It's unprecedented, but cutting her arm off may yet save her life."

Daryl couldn't help the incredulous look on his face. There was hope for the little blond after all. Of course, though, Jenner had to make a stipulation.

"Her chances are very slim, though. This virus…it may kill her yet."

Then he directed them towards the kitchen. Andrea and Dale stayed with Amy. Jacqui would later take them some food.

Daryl smiled slightly at Glenn as the Korean gulped back more wine. He even smirked as Carl made a face after sampling a bit of wine. He drank slowly and with none of the gusto that he had the first time around. People he knew had died. His brother was missing again. Amy might die. His alcohol consumption would be best compared to that of mourners at a funeral. Also with Ed still walking, he wasn't sure that he wanted to get as hammered as before. He kept glancing at Carol, who managed a couple small smiles, but nothing near the ones that she had smiled when Ed was dead. Shane distracted him.

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc? All the other doctors supposed to be figuring out what happened…where are they?" Shane wondered, halting Jenner, who had made to leave the room.

"We're celebrating, Shane," Rick chided, "No need to do this now."

"Nah, wait a second, this is why we're here, right?" Shane argued, "This was your move. Supposed to find all the answers. Instead we found him. One man. Why?" he demanded with a superior sort of glare. Daryl sighed, remembering the answer.

"When things got bad, a lot people just left and went off to be with their families. When things got worse, when the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted," Jenner explained.

"Every last one?" Shane asked doubtfully.

"No. Many couldn't face walking out the doors. They opted out. There was a rash of suicides. It was a bad time," Jenner continued. Daryl looked back to Carol. Jenner's answer had disheartened her. All he wanted was to comfort her, tell her that she would make it through. Then she jumped when Ed got to his feet.

"Damn tired," he grumbled. Jenner sighed.

"Before I check on your friend, I'll show you to your rooms," he said. While everyone was excited over the prospect of hot water and beds, Daryl still watched Carol. He watched as Ed ushered her and Sophia into a room. He took the opposite one, quickly showering, despite the pull to stay inside the warmth. Then he watched the open door, listening for any sign of distress. It was possible Ed would slip up now that he could close a door to prying eyes and Daryl would not hesitate when the fucker did screw up.

"The hell you going?" Ed asked as the door opened. Sophia and Carol emerged. He scanned them both for bruises or cuts. He found none, which was good for Ed, but bad for Daryl's slipping self-control.

"To the games room," Carol replied, turning to look at her husband.

"Pah! Hell you goin' there for?" Ed grumbled, "Ain't no reason to go off in the middle of the night."

Somebody else would have mistook it for concern. Daryl recognized it as controlling, manipulative behaviour. He approached his doorframe.

"Ya know, Ed, if you're concerned 'bout 'em, I'd be happy to escort 'em down there," he offered, shooting Ed a half-smirk. Ed's lower lip curled in distaste, but he knew better than to challenge the redneck. Daryl felt a little better, bullying the bully into submission.

"Fine! Whatever!" Ed spat, slamming the door with a dark look on his face. Carol flinched.

"You don't have to-"

"I want to," he cut her off, "C'mon."

Sophia smiled up at him and she was the first to move. Carol followed her daughter and Daryl followed her. The rec room wasn't much, but it seemed comfortable enough to Daryl. As Sophia went looking at the toys and games, Daryl flopped onto the sofa and Carol sat in an armchair.

"Thank you, Daryl," she said it so quietly that he strained to hear it, "It's nice to see her enjoying herself, especially after everything at the quarry."

"Don't mind," Daryl shrugged, "Anythin' I can do to help."

"You're a good man, Daryl," she told him and he couldn't help but smile a little, "You're so different from before…when…when we first got to the quarry."

"Probably had something to do with my dumbass brother leavin' me," he lied. What the hell else was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell her that he was really from the future and after several life altering events, he had come back with the sole purpose of saving her life.

"I'm sorry about your brother," she said. Daryl shrugged.

"Ain't nothin' can kill a Dixon but a Dixon," he recited, "Merle ain't dead. I'll see him again."

"I hope so. Daryl…I wanted to ask…"

"What?" he asked when she paused. Maybe she was going to ask him to kill her husband. He would comply most readily.

"Why?"

"What d'ya mean?" he asked, caught off guard. She took another breath.

"What you did in the quarry, being kind to me and Sophia, what you did just now…Why?" she asked. He took a breath. Really, it was a simple answer. He loved her, but he couldn't exactly say that now.

"'Cause I think you're strong," he told her, "A lot stronger than ya believe. Ya just need help gettin' there."

She frowned, contemplating his words, not knowing that she had once said something similar to him.

_"You miss him?" she asked him. He turned. She was getting far too damn good at sneaking up on him. He looked back at the make-shift cross. It had only been there for a month or so, but it looked worn, beaten down by the weather._

_"'Course I do," he replied as if it were the most obvious answer. She came up beside him and gently knelt close to the earth. Then she placed a flower on the grave. A Cherokee rose._

_"The hell'd ya get that?" he wondered. The flowers were out of season now; most wild plants had gone to seed._

_"On that last run with Maggie and Michonne," she said, "It's a late bloomer. Appropriate, I think, for your brother."_

_"Why's that?" he asked, still standing by the belief that flowers did not bloom for his brother._

_"Merle and I…we had a few conversations," she admitted, "In one, he called me a late bloomer. Said I had changed from a little mouse scared of her own shadow. He was right, of course. I am stronger now. Just needed a little help is all," she shrugged, then she chuckled, "You should have seen his face when I told him that maybe he was a late bloomer too. He looked at me like I had lost my head, but you know what? That's what he was. It took him until the end of his life to show us all what a good, loyal man he was."_

_Daryl couldn't speak, his throat constricted with emotion as he thought of his brother and of his final sacrifice._

"Daryl…"

She was cut off as Carl bounded into the room, eagerly looking for his friend. Lori followed after a few minutes, but when she saw Daryl, her guard instantly went up. Daryl sighed and retreated to the table, grabbing the deck of cards he found there and dealing himself a game of solitaire, much to the curiosity of the youngsters.

"What're you doing?" Carl asked.

"Solitaire," Daryl grumbled, placing a red queen on top of a black king.

"It doesn't make much sense," Carl said, making a face, "Doesn't look like much fun, either."

"Do you put the red cards on the black ones?" Sophia asked, watching as he flipped three cards up from the remaining deck.

"Pretty much," Daryl replied, "The object is to make piles of the different suits," he explained, placing an ace of hearts above his rows. Then to make his point, he grabbed the two of hearts off of the three of clubs and added it to the ace.

"Boring," Carl rolled his eyes and looking for another game, "Come play 'Chutes and Ladders', Sophia."

The girl nodded and the two kids set to playing. Daryl continued with solitaire all the while eavesdropping on the conversation near the stack of books.

"Is everything alright?" Lori asked Carol.

"Just fine," Carol lied, "This place is wonderful. It's a blessing not having to worry about those things coming up in the middle of the night."

"Isn't it though?" Lori agreed, "You know, I've been meaning to ask how Ed was."

"He's fine," Carol lied again, "Think any of these books are good?" she wondered in a thinly disguised attempt to change the topic.

"You know, he's been pretty surly," Lori pried, "And not just with Daryl. I even noticed he's been glaring at Daryl and Shane both in equal measure. Honestly, you'd think it was Shane that had attacked him."

Daryl's ears perked at this. What did Shane do to Ed? As far as he knew, the two men avoided each other.

"Shane's done nothing to Ed," Lori continued, "I don't know, Carol. He's just…well…"

She was interrupted by Carl, "Mom, can Sophia stay with us? We thought maybe we could make a fort."

"Well, you'll have to ask Carol," Lori shrugged, "but if she says it's okay, than I have no problem with it."

"Please Mom?" Sophia begged.

"Alright," Carol agreed, "but you mind Rick and Lori, you hear?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Let's go start building!" Carl cheered, grabbing Sophia's hand and racing down the halls. Lori laughed.

"You know, it's so nice that they have each other," Lori said, "I'm glad that Carl has a playmate."

"I feel the same about Sophia," Carol echoed, "Are you sure you don't mind taking her tonight?"

"Not at all. Maybe her good manners with rub off on Carl," Lori joked. Then for the next little while, Daryl was stuck in a room with two clucking hens. He paid mild attention as they wondered about Amy's fate, but then they were talking about woman stuff. He was halfway into his third game of solitaire when he heard Carol bid Lori a goodnight. Deciding that there were a million things he'd rather do that spend alone time with Lori Grimes, Daryl scooped up the cards and then grunted a goodnight. He was hoping to catch up to Carol. Maybe he could convince her to take his room instead of returning to Ed. There didn't have to be anything to it. He could sleep elsewhere as long as she was safe. He nodded to Shane as he walked passed him, intent on finding Carol.

Then he heard it. A scream. Her scream.

"NO!"

He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, past the inquiring, concerned group members peering out of their rooms. He ran to her room, pushing inside. Ed was over her, hitting her as she fought against him with everything she had.

"I told you to stay away from that bastard hick!" Ed roared, "This was your fault!"

Daryl reacted, lunging forward and grabbing Ed by the shoulder, bending it at a painful angle, and threw him as hard as he could against the wall. He moved forward, grabbing the bastard by the shirt and hitting him.

"What did I say to ya, Asshole?" Daryl snarled, hitting him again.

"Oh my god," Jacqui's gasp caused him to look up, fearing for Carol, but she was struggling to her feet, ignoring the cut lip and bruised eye. She stumbled, fearful to the bed.

Daryl's mouth ran dry.

Before she was enveloped into her mother's embrace, Sophia Peletier sat on the bed, crying and half naked, her shirt lying on the floor.

He turned back to the snivelling excuse of a man on the ground. If there were any doubts before, there were none now. He was going to beat Ed Peletier to death. He hit him once, twice, three times. He hit him over and over and over.

**TBC**

**Well, it didn't take Ed long to fuck up his second chance. This was building on the implication from the show that Ed would eventually abuse his own daughter. Please let me know your thoughts on this story so far.**


	6. Fighter

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. Now we get to see what Ed's fate happens to be and how Daryl and Carol deal with it.**

**Note: This chapter contains implied sexual abuse, violence, and character death (though no one is going to cry over this one). **

**Song of the Chapter: Yamaha - Delta Spirit**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicated a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 5: Fighter**

Arms were on him, pulling him away.

"Leave me be!" he shouted viciously, fighting the arms pulling him back.

"Hey! What the hell you doing, Man?" Shane demanded, wresting him into a chokehold.

"Daryl, stop!" Rick demanded, helping Shane restrain Daryl.

"Ain't stoppin' 'til that sorry son-of-a-bitch is dead!" Daryl snarled, fighting harder. He supposed he ought to be a bit thankful that both Rick and Shane were unsteady from the wine and were clumsy in their efforts to take him down. He pushed Rick away and swung at Shane, hitting the cop in the jaw.

"You dumb hick!" Shane yelled, taking a swing at Daryl. The punch connected with a Daryl's cheekbone, but before Shane could hit him again, T-Dog and Dale were intervening. T-Dog grabbed Shane and pushed him to the opposite side of the room. Dale and Rick pushed Daryl to the wall.

"STOP!" T-Dog shouted at the irate Shane.

"Dammit, we don't tolerate this fucking bullshit!" Shane raged, "You dumb, asshole redneck-"

"Shane, stop!" Jacqui cried out, "Daryl was defending Carol! Ed was hurting her! Ed hurt Sophia! He had her half-naked in here!"

Both cops froze.

"What?" Rick asked, paling. He sought out Carol, who had Sophia wrapped in a blanket and was ushering her towards the hallway.

"Carol…" Shane choked out. Carol said nothing, only focusing on sheltering her daughter and getting her out of the room.

"Gonna kill that motherfucker!" Daryl started forward again.

"WAIT! WAIT!" Rick stopped him.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Daryl snarled. Rick looked very torn between his duty as a cop and his emotions as a man and father. Rick had not yet mastered his 'me and mine' against the world mantra yet. It would take time for the sheriff's deputy to rearrange his sense of justice.

"He is a member of our group," Shane said reluctantly. Everyone looked down at Ed, who was swimming in and out of unconsciousness. It was in that moment that Carol re-entered the room, purpose in her eyes as she moved through the throngs of people. She yanked Rick's gun from the holster on his belt.

"CAROL!" Shane and Rick both yelled, but they were too late to stop her.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Though Ed had been killed by the first shot, she kept firing, unloading the bullets into her husband's head. Even after the gun was empty, she kept pulling the trigger only to have an empty clicking noise in response.

Daryl stepped up to her and put one hand on the gun and one hand on Carol's shoulder. She looked at him. He saw so many things there, in her eyes. Despair. Anger. Sadness. Determination. Strength. She released the colt and let him take the gun. Then she turned away, back to the hallway, back to her daughter.

"Problem solved," Daryl muttered, pressing the empty weapon into a stunned Rick's hands. Then he followed Carol's path, finding her taking Sophia from Lori's arms and into her own. Daryl didn't like how the rest of the group stared. He hated their pitying eyes. He moved forward, using one hand to open his door and the other to gently guide Carol and Sophia inside.

"Have my room," was all he said. Then he shut the door, giving mother and daughter privacy. He stood outside of it, guarding them.

"Is Sophia hurt? What happened to her?" Carl asked, scared for his friend. Lori and Rick both looked lost, unsure of what to say.

"What was she doin' in there?" Daryl growled, "Thought she was bunking with you and your folks?"

"She…she said she had to get some stuff from her room," Carl whimpered as his mother pulled him close.

"Carl, baby, I need you to go back to our room, now. We need to discuss this," she ordered. They watched Carl walk back to his room a little unsteadily.

"Well, Ed's dead," Shane spat, "Carol made sure of that."

"That was Carol?" Lori asked in shock, "She just asked me to hold Sophia and then she went back in…"

"She was justified," Daryl defended her.

"I have to agree on this," Dale sighed, "No one can fault a mother defending her child from abuse."

"No arguments here," Lori agreed. The rest of the group agreed, nodding along.

"So what now? What do we do with the body? We can't live next to a corpse," T-Dog said.

"I can show you where you can take it," Jenner said from his position on the outside of the group.

"And Sophia?" Dale asked, "She could be hurt quite badly. She needs checked over."

"I'm sure Carol will…" Rick trailed off.

"Jenner's a doctor," Jacqui said, "Surely you could…" she beseeched him.

Jenner hesitated, "I'm a disease pathologist. I don't deal with this type of thing. I can see what I have in the way of medical supplies."

The door to Daryl's room opened and the group drew silent. Carol stood there, looking at them all. There was a blank look on her face, a mask to prevent herself from breaking. It was a look that shot shivers through Daryl's spine and filled him with a crushing desire to take her in his arms and never let her go.

"She needs clothes," she said. Daryl moved while the other's hesitated, quickly stepping into Carol's old room and grabbing their bags. He presented them to her.

"Anythin' else?" he asked, moving back to his spot near the doorway. Rick stepped up.

"Carol, we have Jenner going to look for medical supplies," he told her, "When you're ready, I would like to know what happened, but only when you're ready."

She nodded once and then disappeared back inside. She looked almost numb, Daryl shut the door behind her, feeling a weight in his gut. He had caused this. By beating Ed, he had let the motherfucker live and now Carol and Sophia were in pain because of it.

"Everybody ought to head to bed," Shane suggested, "Clear the space."

The others moved out most reluctantly. Then it was only Shane, Rick, and Daryl in the hallway.

"Ya know, Man, I'm sorry about what happened in there," Shane apologized. Daryl clenched his jaw.

"Nah, I get it. Dumb violent redneck beatin' on the househusband," he growled.

"Man, I'm sorry," Shane said again. Daryl shrugged.

"Fine."

"Look, ya probably need a place to stay-"

"I'll sleep here," Daryl cut across Shane's offer, "I'll pull a mattress up and I'll sleep right here on the floor."

"Daryl, are you sure-"

"Positive," Daryl replied. He would lay there all night. Anyone wanting to get to Carol and Sophia had to go through him first. It was the least he could do for them, as it was his actions that allowed Ed to live in the first place. He had pieced it together. After Daryl attacked Ed at the quarry, Ed had spent time in his tent while Carol went to do laundry. Then, when it came time for the fish fry, Ed had crawled out for a meal after skipping lunch. If Daryl had just let things follow course, Ed would be dead and this never would have happened.

It was his fault.

Jenner returned then, with a bag.

"I have some sedatives here. Aspirin. First aid kit," Jenner listed. Rick sighed and moved to the door. Daryl beat him to it, tapping softly on the wood. Carol opened the door to find the four men there.

"Jenner brought back some medical stuff," Daryl explained.

"Thank you," she said almost robotically. Then she seemed to steel herself, "He touched her, but he didn't…he didn't…get that far," she choked out, her lower lip quivering. Daryl felt part of the weight lift from his chest, but not by much.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Carol," Rick said gently, "If there's anything…"

"Thank you," she said, taking the medical bag and disappearing into the room again. Daryl sighed. Jenner showed Rick and Shane where to drag Ed's body. In the meantime, he went into the 'scene of the crime' to grab a single mattress and drag it out in front of the door. If anyone wanted to get to Carol and Sophia, they would have to get through him first he resolved again. With that in mind, he settled down on the mattress. He noted Rick and Shane returning to their respective rooms. Then he was out, dreaming a very vivid dream.

**_He opened his eyes and all he could see was white. He looked down at himself. His hair was longer than it had been at the quarry. He was thinner, too. Leaner, yet still muscular. He was wearing his leather jacket and he noticed it was faded and worn._**

**_"Ain't you a right purty sight for sore eyes," a familiar voice chuckled. Daryl sat upright and stared into the smiling face of his big brother._**

**_"Merle?" he questioned._**

**_"And with both hands too," Merle chuckled, holding up both hands, completely whole. His brother was the same as he remembered him. A close-cropped haircut, calculating cobalt blue eyes, devious smirk._**

**_"What are you doing here, Merle?" Daryl asked groggily._**

**_"Ya asked for me, Lil' Brother," Merle shrugged, "Up there on that ridge when ya buried my hand ya said ya didn't want me to die again, so here I am." _**

**_"What?" Daryl asked, confused._**

**_"Wake up, Kid!" Merle shouted, frustrated. He waved his hand and an image of Daryl's younger self emerged, bowed over and talking to the grave of his brother's severed hand. Merle waved his hand again and the image disappeared._**

**_"This is a dream," Daryl realized._**

**_"Good one, obviously, if I'm in it," Merle said cockily, crossing his beefy arms over his chest, "'Course, it's gotta be better than the twilight zone shit-show you're livin', eh lil' brother?"_**

**_Daryl narrowed his eyes, "What're you talkin' 'bout, Merle?"_**

**_"Catch up, Darylina!" Merle laughed, "Talkin' 'bout you tryin' to change shit. Talkin' bout you tryin' to save that little girl and her momma."_**

**_Daryl's mouth went dry, "Merle, what do ya know 'bout it?" he asked desperately._**

**_"I know youse tryin' harder to save your lil' mouse than ol' Merle," Merle said soberly._**

**_"Ya left me, Merle," Daryl argued, "I tried so damn hard this time! I left ya a note! I told ya to come back to me! Shoulda known ya can't even read!"_**

**_"Yeah, tell yerself that, Brother, anythin' ta make ya feel better 'bout abandonin' your own kin."_**

**_"YOU LEFT ME!" Daryl roared, "YOU LEFT ME ALONE! OVER AND OVER AND OVER! YOU LEFT ME!"_**

**_"I DIED FOR YOU!" Merle snarled back, "I died to protect ya and that stupid group ya were so in love with! Lotta good it did ya, too. She still ended up dead, didn't she?"_**

**_"YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT HER!" Daryl yelled._**

**_"And lookit what ya gone and done with ya second chance," Merle said, shaking his head, "Hell, lil' brother, youse tryin' so damn hard to change things for her, ya fucked up her world."_**

**_"Shut up, Merle!" Daryl snarled desperately, though both of them heard him falter. Merle smirked._**

**_"Ya really wanna save her? Ya need to be smarter, lil' brother! Ya need to fight for her," Merle sighed, "Could help ya, if ya do ol' Merle a favour."_**

**_"Favour?" Daryl spat, "What favour?"_**

**_"Not much ya do now can help me now that I'm with him, the Governor. I'm set on a dark, dark path, baby brother. Not much can bring me back to it. Even you couldn't, first time 'round. Maybe if I had somethin' important, somethin' big, I woulda been a little more careful with my own life," Merle shrugged._**

**_"And I wasn't enough?" Daryl asked. Merle chuckled._**

**_"Baby Brother, when I died, you didn't need your big brother no more. You could live and survive without me. Can't say I took it too well, but hey, your girl seemed to appreciate ol' Merle at the end," Merle replied, "Nah, baby bro, see here's the favour: when Officer Friendly takes his wife's boy-toy with him to take out the trash, you need to take a trip of your own. Head to Barksdale, back to the bar. You'll find what I want ya to find in there."_**

**_"Which is what?" Daryl questioned._**

**_"Don't mind that. Now listen up. Ya really wanna help your woman and her girl, then ya gotta use your head. Think long term, not short term. Surely there must be some kinda brain in that hard head of yours," Merle explained, "And if you do manage to save 'em, there's gonna be consequences. Be ready for that."_**

**_"What d'ya mean?" Daryl protested, but then his brother was fading, "Merle, answer me! Merle! Merle!" _**

"Merle!"

He jolted awake and glanced around. He was in the CDC, in the darkened hallway. He breathed out and clutched his head.

The door opened and he looked up to see Carol standing over him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I dunno," he mumbled, "Sorry I woke ya."

"I was up anyway. Can't sleep. I heard you. I thought you would have bunked with one of the others," she said.

"Rather not," he mumbled in a lie, "Ya okay?" he asked, changing the subject. Carol seemed to take the question as an invitation to sit down in the doorway beside him. He looked into the room and saw Sophia sleeping on the bed.

"I dunno," Carol echoed him, her voice eerily calm, "My husband tried to rape my daughter and I shot him. I should be a wreck, but I'm not. I got her calmed down. I got her to sleep, with a sleeping pill, mind you, but she's asleep. I don't feel guilty about Ed. I didn't feel anything when I shot him. I thought…I thought I would, but…I don't even feel relieved because what he did…it'll be on her mind. She already asked me why he'd do that. I told her that he was sick, crazy. I'm scared for the day she realizes it was my fault," she explained and now her voice shook.

"How'd'ya figure that?" he asked, frowning, "Ya didn't leave her there with him. He was a sick fucker who took advantage of her."

"I should have left him a long time ago, long before this walking dead business started, but I couldn't. I figured I wouldn't be able to protect and support the two of us and if I did leave him, he threatened me and Sophia. He never hurt her before, though. It was always me and I thought it was okay because I could take it as long as she wasn't hurt. I took it on faith that he wouldn't hurt his own child and she paid for it," Carol was crying now, tears sliding down her cheeks. He thought about reaching over and brushing them away, but he decided against it.

"Abusers get into your head, Carol. They make ya think ya deserve it, make ya stay…" he recited something that she had once told him, "My daddy did it to me. Merle did it too sometimes, but I don't think he realized what he was doin'. Point is, she's not gonna blame ya for stayin' 'cause he was the one gettin' in your mind. But she is gonna remember how ya fought for her, 'cause when I got in that room, ya were fightin' him with everythin' ya had. You're the reason he's gone and will never hurt her again. You did that."

He noticed a small, tearful smile tug at her lips, so he continued, "You protected your little girl. You overcame him and you fought like hell for her. That's what you did, Carol."

"I did, didn't I?" she said, the smile growing slightly. He smiled at her.

"You're a fighter, Carol. She is too."

And so am I, he thought. I'm not giving up. I'll fight for her and Sophia. I'll fight for you too, Merle. Anything to keep the people I love with me.

**TBC**

**Well, Ed is dead, thank goodness. I figured that out of everybody, Carol deserved to do it more than anyone. She did suffer years of abuse and Ed hurting Sophia was the last straw.**

**Also, Merle gets his first appearance, even if it is only a dream. I said I had plans for him.**

**Next chapter, we get to determine if Amy survives.**


	7. It's Worth the Risk

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. With Ed gone, things should be looking up for the group.**

**Note: This chapter contains character death.**

**Song of the Chapter: Hope - Chad Brownlee**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 6: It's Worth the Risk**

Though Daryl had been awake for a couple hours and a couple group members had already stumbled sleepily to the kitchen area, he had yet to move from his mattress. He wouldn't be going anywhere until Carol and Sophia emerged from that room. After Carol had returned to bed, Daryl had fallen back asleep, only his dreams were normal, nowhere near as _real_ as his dream about Merle. He could still remember the clarity of his brother's voice and the feeling of his brother's hands on him. Talk about vivid dreams.

He smirked as Glenn stumbled by him. The Korean was holding his head and praying for death. One thing about it, Daryl was thankful he opted out of getting shitfaced. He inwardly cringed at his choice of words. He had never been able to say the words 'opt out' without thinking of Jenner and how he had put them within a couple minutes of instant death.

Then a familiar blond was making her way through the halls. Daryl's stomach tightened as Andrea walked right up to him. He scrambled to his feet, taking the tears on her face as a bad sign. Amy had passed. How long until she turned? Would they know to put her down even without the bite?

But then she hugged him.

He stiffened in her arms and was about to question her when she pulled away and said, "Amy's awake. Her fever broke last night."

"W-What?" he stammered.

"She's awake," Andrea repeated, smiling as more happy tears streamed down her face, "Jenner says that she's not out of the woods yet, but he's never seen anything like it. You saved her life, Daryl."

"I didn't know it would work," Daryl admitted.

"Come see her. Please," Andrea requested.

"Uh…okay," he nodded, casting a backwards glance at the door. He followed Andrea to the infirmary. When he stepped in, Amy was indeed awake. She was talking to Dale, who was smiling and holding her hand. When he saw Daryl there, Dale excused himself, but patted the younger man on the shoulder.

"You did good, Son," Dale said gratefully as he exited. Daryl stood awkwardly in the doorway as Andrea sat down and gently rubbed Amy's right arm. He couldn't believe Amy was alive. He had actually saved someone's life, someone who actually deserved to live.

"Er…how're ya doin'?" Daryl asked, unsure.

"I hurt all over," Amy admitted, "but I'm here."

"Thanks to Daryl," Andrea told her, "He was the one who acted so fast and did everything."

"I kinda remember," Amy mumbled, "You saved me."

"Just reacted is all," Daryl muttered.

"But you knew it would work-" Andrea insisted.

"I said it might," Daryl corrected Andrea, "I didn't know for sure."

"Thank you," Amy said, cutting off her sister's retort, "Whatever you did, thank you."

"Did what I had to," he shrugged and made to turn away.

"When I was out, I dreamed that you didn't do it," Amy whispered, making him stop and listen. She continued, "The one bit my arm and then the other one bit my neck. Andrea was holding me. Then it was daylight and Andrea was there again. I was one of those things. I reached for her…I think I was gonna bite her and then…"

"Oh, Amy," Andrea whispered, tears streaming down her face as she rested her forehead on her sister's temple. Daryl went pale. That was exactly how Amy had died in the original timeline.

"Thank you," Amy said again. He just nodded and exited the room, his feet on autopilot as they took him back to his cot. How was it possible that Amy remembered the way she died? Fuck, she even remembered how she had turned and how she had been put down. How the hell was that possible?

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. He looked up, expecting Carol, but instead finding Sophia. She was pale and nervously clung to the door, almost as if she could slam the door on him if he came at her.

"Hey, Kid," he said, sitting up slowly.

"Hi, Mr. Daryl."

"Ya okay? Ya momma okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"Momma's in the bathroom. Mr. Daryl, can you take us to get breakfast? I'm hungry," the girl said, rubbing her eyes, "Momma said you are a friend."

"On one condition," Daryl stipulated, his heart warming in his chest, "Enough of that Mr. Daryl crap. It's just Daryl, got it, Kid?"

"Yes, Sir," she nodded before walking back into the room. He noticed how she left the door opened, but did not take her eyes of him. That was okay; he was just glad she was talking. He knew that it could be a lot worse. Carol emerged from the rest room and when she noticed the opened door, she smiled at him.

"Morning, Daryl. If you need your things…" she trailed off.

"I'll just change and then I'll take ya to breakfast," he said, moving slowly into the room to grab his change of clothes. He didn't want to move too fast and spook Sophia. Then he retreated to the bathroom. He heard Carol speaking to Sophia in low tones, reassuring her. He dressed quickly and emerged from the bathroom.

"C'mon. Let's go get some food. I think T-Dog was talkin' 'bout cookin' up some eggs," he announced. Carol looked down at Sophia, who nodded. Then Carol led her out the door. Daryl walked behind them, careful to keep a respectable distance. The kitchen area went silent when they entered.

"Send some of 'em eggs this way, Brother," Daryl grunted to T-Dog as he motioned Carol to three empty chairs. Then conversation resumed, as if the group realized that they were being rude by staring. Daryl watched as Carol carefully prepared Sophia a plate. The girl was simply staring down at her hands, refusing to make eye contact with anybody. Carl made a move to approach her, but his mother stopped him. Daryl got up and grabbed some apple juice from the fridge. He poured two glasses and set them in front of the mother and daughter. Carol smiled softly at him in thanks. Even Sophia raised her eyes to his. The highlight of the morning came when Andrea, Dale, and Jenner wheeled Amy into the room in a wheelchair.

"Hi, guys," Amy greeted the shocked members of their group. She looked like hell, pale and gaunt, but she mustered a weak smile. The rest of the group broke out into grins.

"What does this mean?" Lori was the one who asked the question.

"Dr. Jenner said that Amy's fever broke," Andrea replied with a grin, "He said she's probably out of the woods."

"It's truly remarkable," Jenner agreed, "The amputation removed the virus before it could spread. It truly saved her life. There is still a real risk of infection, but I think she's the first person to ever survive a bite."

"Daryl, I don't know how you did it, but you performed a real miracle," Rick saluted him with his glass of water, "You saved her life."

"To Daryl," Dale toasted, raising his glass of OJ. The other's followed suit and toasted to a very red-faced redneck.

"Can we change the topic please?" Daryl mumbled, focusing on his plate. The conversation moved towards folks asking Amy how she was feeling and then it turned to Glenn's obvious hangover. Daryl tuned it out as his face returned to a normal colour and looked over at Carol, who caught his eye and subtly raised her glass to him again, causing his face once again to redden. Then she turned to her daughter, keeping a watchful eye on the girl. Sophia ate in silence, but he noticed that she kept on looking over at Amy and every so often she would even glance at him. Things were going smoothly until Dale, ever curious, asked about finding answers to the outbreak.

Now Daryl had heard it all before and as Jenner led them to the big room to show them Test Subject 19, his eyes immediately darted to the red numbers counting down on the clock. They had a little over an hour. He listened as Jenner explained synapses and neurons. Once, in the prison, he had found a book on biology in the library. He had read further about them, but it was a bit over his head. Besides, in their world, the only thing you needed to know about brains was how to access them through a walker's skull. He watched the screen as the flashing lights faded while darkness invaded the brain.

"It invades the brain like meningitis," Jenner said, "Everything you ever were or will be…gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked her mother. Carol nodded and held her tighter.

"Vi, fast forward to the second event," Jenner ordered. Red tinged the dark brain, sparking like coals on a fire, "The resurrection times vary wildly. We've had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours."

"It restarts the brain?" Lori gasped.

"Brainstem," Jenner corrected, "Basically it gets them up and moving."

"But they're not alive," Rick observed.

"You tell me," Jenner said placidly.

"It's nothing like before," Rick said, "That brain is dark."

Jenner nodded, "The neural cortex, the human part, the you part…that doesn't come back."

Daryl couldn't help but think of his brother when he had turned. He cringed as the bullet ripped through the skull of the walker as it started moving. If it had been Merle on the screen, a knife would have been seen stabbing the brain over and over. This time though, Carol didn't ask what it was. She knew. She realized that it was a gunshot through the brain. Then Jenner explained how the world went dark, that he didn't have answers and it was unlikely that anyone did.

"There's nothing left anywhere. That's what you're saying, right?" Andrea demanded. Before Jenner could reply, Daryl spoke up.

"You're wrong," he said, unable to stop himself, "There's gotta be somethin' out there."

"And if there isn't?" Jenner asked him.

"Then we'll make somethin'," Daryl growled defiantly. Jenner said nothing, just smirked. It was all Daryl could do not to knock the knowing smirk off of Jenner's face. Even though he wasn't a doctor or college-educated, Daryl was quite certain the he _knew_ more than Jenner.

"Dr. Jenner, I hate to ask another question, but that clock is counting down," Dale stepped forward, "What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators run out of fuel," Jenner answered most reluctantly.

"And then?" Rick demanded. He received no answer.

"Then we're fucked," Daryl snarled, glowering at the doctor, "Ain't we? 'Cause sure as shit, bad things will happen at zero, won't they, Doc?"

Jenner said nothing. Daryl turned to Rick.

"Everybody needs to get their things. We ain't safe here," Daryl said. Rick nodded, turning to the group.

"Get your things-"

The metal doors closed. People screamed, panicked at being locked in.

"You sorry prick!" Daryl spat, lunging for Jenner and grabbing him by the collar, "Open that damn door!"

"It is better this way," Jenner finally said, "Kinder. You won't face that death. You won't be torn apart as you sleep. It will be quick, painless."

"The hell with that!" Daryl protested, shaking the doctor. Rick and Shane pulled him back.

"Jenner, what are you talking about?" Rick demanded. Jenner sighed.

"At zero, the generators run out of fuel. HIT's will deploy. They set the air on fire. Everything here will be gone."

And everyone in it, but the group managed to get that. More panicked cries.

"You're gonna kill us?" Glenn asked in terror, "You're gonna kill us!"

"It's kinder. It would be fast. A millisecond. No pain. Nothing. It would be a thousand times better than to be ripped to shreds by those things only to come back as a mutilated corpse-"

"And what about all the livin' we got left to do?" Daryl demanded, "We ain't licked yet! We just need a chance!"

"And what life would you have out there?" Jenner asked, "It would be short, cruel. Every second would be a risk! Every minute, you could die."

Daryl breathed, remembering something Hershel had once told him about risk, "Yeah, it would be," he allowed, "We go out there, we risk our lives. We take a drink of water, we risk our lives. We don't have a choice, but the one thing we can choose is what we're risking it for! Yeah, we could die out there, but maybe we could find somethin' that makes us want to live! Maybe friends, lovers, family…maybe we can find all that! Then it would be worth the risk!"

He thought of Sasha and Tyreese. He thought of Michonne. He thought of Hershel and Beth. He thought of Glenn and Maggie. He thought of Rick, Carl, and Lil' Asskicker. He thought of Carol. His family.

"And what happens when you lose it?" Jenner questioned, "Because out there, any hope you find will be dashed not long after, if not by walkers than by men driven to extremes to survive. Your friend Jim suffered before dying. Your friend Amy lost her arm and may still yet die. How much are you willing to suffer for a chance? How much pain are you willing to put yourself through?"

"I've watched people I care about die," Daryl admitted, "Both by walkers and by people and after..." his voice broke, "and after the last one died, I thought there was no hope left, but dammit, that ain't true no more! I have another chance to make it right and dammit, I will! Give us a chance! Let us fight!"

"You're fighting a losing battle. There's no hope and it's only a matter of time before you and everyone you love is dead. This is our extinction event-"

"LET US OUT!" Daryl bellowed, lunging for the doctor. Rick and Shane grabbed him again and they fell to the floor in a tangled mess. Shouts, cries, and pleas rang out from the others. One voice silenced them all.

"Please let us out," Sophia had stepped away from her mother and was looking up at Jenner beseechingly, "I want to live."

Everyone stopped moving as they looked to the twelve-year-old child who was looking up at the doctor with tear-filled eyes. For the first time, Jenner wavered in his convictions. He knelt to her level, "Sweetheart, this is a better way. No one will suffer any pain. You and your momma will be together in heaven. You all will."

"So you're telling me that you saved my life only to let me die?" Amy asked softly.

"Scientific curiosity," Jenner answered, not looking at her.

"How could you?" Andrea demanded, "You gave us hope only to take it away."

"There is no hope," Jenner said, shaking his head, "Not out there. It's not a world for anyone. Why would you want to expose your sister to that? Why would you want your children to die like that? Wouldn't it be kinder to wait for the clock to run down?"

"It's not up to you to make that decision!" Andrea spat, "You can't make that choice for us! If we want to live, why would you deny us that?"

"I want to live," Amy said weakly, "I've been given another chance and I want to take it."

"I don't want to die, Mr. Jenner. He's gone now. Momma and I don't gotta be scared no more," Sophia spoke up again, "I wanna live."

Daryl looked to Carol, who despite the tears flowing down her cheeks, had a look of awe on her face as she stared at her remarkable girl.

"Ya see that, Jenner?" Daryl said, "The two people who have been through the most shit outta everyone here wanna live! Amy still wants to try even with one arm! And after everything that little girl and her momma have been through, Sophia wants to live! She deserves to live! She and her momma deserve every little piece of happiness that this world has to offer. You can't deny them that chance."

"Please," Lori added as Jenner was silent, "Please let us keep trying as long as possible."

"Even if you get top-side, you won't get out," Jenner said, "I can't open those doors. As I said before, once they shut, they're shut for good."

"We just want a chance to try," Rick agreed with his wife. Jenner finally nodded and opened the door.

"Let's go!" Glenn panicked, "Let's get our things and go!"

"We have to go!" Jacqui agreed, following close behind T-Dog. Daryl smiled. He had saved another life. He had been convincing enough to make her want to live. Well, maybe it hadn't been just him, he thought as Jacqui turned to help with Amy. Amy and Sophia had been the real selling point to Jenner. He looked at the clock. Forty minutes, much longer than before.

He walked by Jenner and Rick.

"We're grateful," Rick thanked.

"The time will come when you won't be," Jenner replied.

"Been there, done that, got over that," Daryl snorted, moving to follow Carol and Sophia. He didn't have to turn around to know that Jenner was whispering in Rick's ear.

The group gathered their things in record time. Despite the once safe haven, no one had bothered unpacking. Daryl shouldered his bow, grabbed his small bag, and looked to Carol. She had her bag and the one full of medical supplies that Jenner had given her.

"Might as well take 'em, right?" she shrugged. He nodded and then moved into the hallway, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"GRAB ANYTHIN' EXTRA! FOOD, BLANKETS, MEDICAL STUFF, ANYTHIN'! JUST BE QUICK ABOUT IT!" he bellowed. Why hadn't that occurred to him before? They had time; they might as well use it. He and Carol grabbed blankets before running to the kitchen where T-Dog and Jacqui were filling up a duffle bag with cans and preserved food. He rushed to help them.

Twenty minutes later, the group clamoured into the elevator, bogged down with more supplies. Andrea, Dale, and Glenn had went for the medical supplies. Rick and Shane had ran through the halls collecting their group members and ushering them to the elevator. They made it top-side. Without wasting a second, Shane was on the glass, beating it with an axe. When that didn't work, he shot at it.

"The glass won't break!" Rick cried, pacing. Carol stepped forward.

"Rick, I have something that can help!" she announced. Daryl couldn't help the small grin.

"Carol, I don't think a nail file will do us any good here," Shane scoffed. Carol glared at him before turning back to Rick. Daryl felt a surge of pride for her in his chest. His Carol, the one he loved, was slowly emerging as the shadow of Ed disappeared.

"The morning after you got back, when I washed your clothes, I found this in your pants," she revealed, presenting him with a grenade. As they ducked by the wall, Daryl couldn't help grinning over at Carol. She nodded back, a slight blush on her face.

_He watched as she jabbed her knife into the walker woman's eye. It slid off and collapsed on the ground. He lowered his bow, which he had raised as a precaution, ready to intervene if she lost her nerve. She stood over the body of the walker, her chest heaving as black blood dripped from her knife and onto the walker's chest. She looked over at him. The look on her face was perhaps the most beautiful he had ever seen. She was smiling, proud of herself, and she was confident, collected. She was no longer the mousy, beaten down housewife. She was strong._

_"I did it," she said._

_"Ya did," he agreed, "Pretty damn impressive for your first. Just don't bite off more than ya can chew. That one was even smaller than ya."_

_She chuckled and his heartbeat quickened. One, he hadn't her laugh in a long time and it was a glorious sound. Two, he knew that one day, she would bite off more than she could chew and for some reason, that terrified him._

They abandoned Amy's wheelchair at the window ledge. Rick had picked her up and passed her to Shane. Daryl hopped down to help the women and children out. Then they ran for their vehicles, mindful of the corpses that littered the cordon, and made their hasty retreat. Once they were several blocks away, the fireball filled the air showing that Jenner and the CDC were gone. The pulled over and made plans.

"It occurs to me that we have friends in this town," Rick said, "We can stay there for the night and regroup. In the morning, we'll siphon the gas and get rid of some vehicles. We have to start conserving our resources if we want to make it to Fort Benning."

The rest of the group agreed, piling back into their cars. Daryl caught Carol's eye as she and Sophia got into her Cherokee.

They had survived the CDC and if Daryl had anything to say about it, they would be surviving for a good long time, even if he had to risk it all for them. Carol and Sophia were worth it. They were what he was risking his life for.

**TBC**

**Well, Amy lives, the group escaped the CDC, and Jenner opted out. Please leave me your thoughts and opinions! I love reading the reviews. They provide me with so much insight and they really are what drives this story. Next chapter: Daryl has a choice to make.**


	8. Highway Don't Care

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. So ridiculously excited about this chapter. I've been looking forward to writing it as soon as the idea popped into my head and it's been tweaked a couple times to get it just right. Also, I really think the chorus of Highway Don't Care is appropriate at this point. Enjoy!**

**Song of the Chapter: Highway Don't Care - Tim McGraw**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 7: Highway Don't Care**

Sophia yelped and whimpered, moving closer to her mother. Daryl looked back at them. This was the point where he would tell her to 'put a sock in it' and tell Carol that if she didn't shut Sophia up, then he would. Knowing what he knew, he bit down the frustration and fear.

"Calm it down, Kid," he muttered tersely, "Stay quiet."

Carol calmed her down and they moved through the nursing home with trepidation. Only Daryl knew that there was nothing to fear from the dead senior citizens. The Vatos were dead and so were the charges that they looked after. Daryl simply continued his sweep, but when something crumpled under his shoe, he had to stop. He looked down and picked up a bloody piece of paper. His own sloppy writing stared him in the face.

**_Merle. Either stay here or drive back to camp. Daryl_**

His mouth became a thin line. He glanced around and noticed the medicine dispensary. He bowed his head. Merle had been here. He knew now who had destroyed the Vatos. Not Merle, no, it had been the madman who had rescued Merle. It seemed that the group had narrowly avoided an early confrontation with the Governor. He pocketed the note and returned to the group. Rick announced that they would sleep here and assured them that they would be alright.

"You mean it this time or are you lying to us like all the times before?" Carol asked, her arm around Sophia's shoulders. Daryl had to admire how fierce she sounded. He supposed that after all she had been through, she had a bit of a right to question Rick, especially now that he had led them to a tomb.

"That's not fair and no help at all," Lori defended her husband.

"What the hell happened?" Glenn wondered, looking around lost.

"What do you think?" Andrea shrugged as though she had all of the answers, "They got overrun."

Daryl scoffed and she turned on him.

"You got something to say?" she demanded.

"Yeah. How about 'observant'?" he replied. In truth, he enjoyed this argument with her. He enjoyed proving her wrong in the same way he was sure Merle had enjoyed stealing Daryl's toys when they were kids.

"Observant? Big word from a guy like you. Three whole syllables," Andrea sniped. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't show up 'til all this went down. Somebody attacked this place, killed all these people, and took whatever they wanted. They're all shot in the head execution-style. Y'all worried about walkers? I'd be much more worried about the people who came and did all this. Get a dictionary. Look it up. Observant," Daryl told her, pointing to his head. She looked floored by the turn of events. Daryl smirked and Amy giggled from beside her sister. Andrea rolled her eyes, but let it go.

Later, just to rile her up, he passed her a dictionary while they were all sitting in a room together, set to eat supper, which was definitely better than the last time thanks to them grabbing more supplies from the CDC. Andrea scowled at him, but he saw the others trying to hide smirks. She threw it back at him, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. The rest of the group laughed and when it subsided, Rick beckoned the other men outside for a little pow-wow.

"We'll head out tomorrow," Rick announced, "Even though we have plenty of supplies from the CDC, I don't want to stay here. If someone else comes…"

He trailed off, but Daryl, Shane, T-Dog, Dale, and Glenn were well aware of what he didn't say.

"We'll need to gas up the cars," Shane said, "Get rid of the ones we don't need and then we ought to get out of the city. The quicker we're on the road, the better."

"I agree," Rick sighed, "Dale, is the RV in good working order?"

"It'll run," Dale confirmed. Rick nodded.

"Daryl, I hate to ask this, but I noticed the bike in your truck," Rick started, "It would be easier to maneuver through traffic snarls and-"

"Say no more. I got it," Daryl confirmed. He was itching to get back on that bike and clear his head.

"A motorcycle?" Shane asked doubtfully, "That's gonna attract every walker for miles."

"It'll work fine," Daryl shrugged, "Done it before. Ain't much louder than some of those buckets of bolts we're drivin'. Throw my gear in the RV?" Daryl asked. Dale nodded.

"Think about this, Rick," Shane spoke up, "We're gonna be on the road again with who knows how many walkers out there. We don't want another disaster like the CDC or even this place."

"It ain't gonna be," Daryl growled. He wouldn't let it get out of hand. Shane quieted, but he still didn't look happy about it.

"Alright, we'll leave at first light. We'll each take two hour watches until then," Rick decided, "T, Shane, Glenn, Dale, Daryl, and then me."

"Sounds good," Daryl and Shane said at the same time. They glanced at each other and suddenly Daryl remembered that he wasn't Rick's right hand in this time. Rick nodded.

"Listen, Daryl, I wanted to say I really appreciate all you did at the CDC," Rick said, "With the thing with Ed and thinking to grab supplies-"

"That was Carol," Daryl corrected, "Woman's pretty damn resourceful."

Rick chuckled, "Yeah, she's somethin' else," he agreed, "And listen, what you said in the CDC about there still bein' something out there…well, thanks for that too. You reminded me that there's something worth fighting for."

"That was Sophia and Amy," Daryl corrected, feeling a blush creep on into his face.

"But you were a big part of it," T-Dog told him, "I mean it's like you really knew that there is someplace out there for us all."

"Yeah, it was something else," Glenn agreed, "You really believe it?"

Daryl thought about his future family. Carol, Rick, Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, Beth, Carl, Michonne, Ty, Sasha, and Lil' Asskicker. He nodded.

"Yeah, I do."

"That's wonderful to hear, Son. We could all use a little faith," Dale stated. Then he, Glenn, and Rick moved towards the door to rest. Daryl got up to follow, but he found his path blocked by Shane, who shot him a weird look before he followed the others. Daryl shrugged it off and moved to get a little shut eye.

**_"Glad I taught ya somethin' bout lookin' with your eyes 'stead of your mouth, Baby Brother," Merle chortled. Daryl opened his eyes. His brother was standing over him, smirking. Daryl sat up. They were in the same white room again and Daryl now resembled his future self. It was the dream world._**

**_"You were there. At the Vatos headquarters," Daryl said, reaching for his pocket. The note was there. Merle took it, his smile fading._**

**_"I was," he admitted, "Met the Governor just outside the city on the road. Was bleeding out. Gave me food, water. He was with a few others and he had me come along when he and the men went back into the city. Said I ought to be there so he could get some drugs in me. I 'spect that he just wanted me there so he could force me to fight for the medicine. Maybe shot one or two of the spics 'fore I passed out. Next thing I know, he's draggin' me and the others through the nursing home."_**

**_"You killed the Vatos?" Daryl asked._**

**_"Just the one's shootin' at me. Ain't like I celebrated after I realized that he had offed the old folks," Merle scoffed._**

**_"Dammit," Daryl cursed._**

**_"Ya think that's bad? Get ready, Baby Brother. Shit's comin'," Merle advised._**

**_"I know. The highway."_**

**_"Remember, Brother, long term."_**

**_"What does that even mean?" Daryl demanded, frustrated by the same answer._**

**_"Figure it out. Just remember what I asked ya to do," Merle reminded._**

**_"Give me some actual advice and maybe I'll consider your fuckin' favour!" Daryl spat. Merle got in his face._**

**_"Oh, you'll do me that favour, Boy! You owe me!" Merle yelled._**

**_"TELL ME WHAT I NEED TO DO! I AIN'T LOSIN' THAT KID AGAIN!" Daryl roared, lunging for his brother. They tousled around the white background, but Merle clearly had the upper hand here. He pinned Daryl with ease. Merle chuckled over top of him._**

**_"What? Forgot that I was even better at whoopin' your ass with two hands 'stead of one?" Merle taunted. Daryl struggled against him._**

**_"Merle, let me go! Tell me what I need to do! Tell me what I need to do!" Daryl begged desperately._**

**_"Ya need to stop beggin'," Merle said in disgust, letting his brother up, "That ain't the boy I raised."_**

**_"Merle-"_**

**_"Man up, Darylina. Ya want a single mama to be with ya, first ya gotta win over the kid."_**

**_"I'll save her," Daryl declared, "I'll go after her instead of Rick."_**

**_"And what about that black bastard with the butterfingers?" Merle asked, "The one who dropped the damn key? Ain't he good for somethin' in the future? Sides there's gonna be other shit goin' happenin' on that road."_**

**_Daryl's eyes widened in realization. If he left T-Dog to bleed out, he wouldn't be able to save Carol at the prison. If he let Sophia die, it would crush Carol. He had to choose between Sophia and T-Dog. Merle chuckled as he began to fade._**

**_"You're caught between a rock and a hard place, Baby Brother. Remember to use that head of yours…" _**

The next morning Daryl was in a mood as he looked down at the gas canister at his feet, full thanks to the fuel in his truck. Once again, he would be abandoning his truck. At one time, he had been proud of the truck. He had saved for months to earn the money to pay for it. Sure, it was rusted and had a few dents, but it was his and that was something. Now though, he was more than willing to leave it behind. He was better on the bike, though when he caught up to Merle, he was likely going to have to fight for it. He pushed the thought away and fueled up the bike, which had only needed to be topped up. Then he took the canister to Carol's Cherokee and filled her tank.

"Thank you," she said, coming around the side with Sophia. He just nodded to her and gave Sophia a small half-smile. She returned it. He felt a little bit proud of himself, seeing as how the last time this happened, she had been scared of him.

"Stay safe," he told her. She just nodded and put her bags in the backseat. He sighed and walked back to his motorcycle. He felt a little down, missing the other half of their parting words.

_He walked by her, glancing down at the baby in her arms. She hadn't really stopped smiling since Lil' Asskicker had been placed in her arms._

_"Stay safe," he said softly. He had only just found her again. He had buried her. He had tried to play it off, but it had become too much for him. Out of everyone at that prison, out of everyone who had died, her disappearance had affected him the most. What did that mean?_

_"Nine lives, remember?" she quipped, her smile widening just for him. Those words reassured him. He wouldn't lose her._

He got on his bike and led the caravan towards Fort Benning. He felt growing trepidation. They were approaching the highway…the interstate. Could they avoid it? If he did, he wouldn't have to choose between Sophia and T-Dog. He couldn't stand to lose the little girl again, but T-Dog was his friend, a close friend who had given his life for Carol. Daryl gripped the handlebars tighter. They could take the exit…

But then they would never meet Hershel, Maggie, or Beth. Their future family would be incomplete, but were the Greene's worth all of the loss? He shook his head, ashamed to have wondered, and yet…

Carl would not be shot.

Their man Otis would be alive.

Dale would not be ripped apart.

Sophia would be alive.

But what about all of the good?

A safe haven.

Hershel saving their lives over and over.

Beth giving them hope.

Glenn and Maggie.

Falling for her.

Her falling for him.

Not only that, but if they did take the exit, what would they be walking into? He didn't know. That exit could be their exit out of this world. He sighed. While his impulse was to keep Carol and Sophia away from any danger, he had to go with what he knew. That was the point of his whole wish: to use his knowledge of the future to save them. He had to stick to what he knew. He would find another way to intervene. He had to. He wasn't losing Sophia again. He wasn't going to fail this time around.

He navigated the traffic snarl with ease on the bike, but he knew it would be a matter of time before he would hear the telltale hissing of a shot radiator hose. He groaned and pulled to a stop. The others were stopping too, getting out of their vehicles. He sought out Carol and Sofia.

"Stay close," he said as the group decided to go scavenging for supplies.

"This a graveyard," Lori stopped them, "I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"'Cept we need the supplies," he grunted, continuing on. Dale was up on the RV while Rick was on the road, watching for trouble. Daryl knew he'd see it soon enough. Glenn and Shane were moving around and glancing in cars. Amy had got out to stretch her legs, but Andrea was keeping a protective eye on her, hovering over her shoulder. Jacqui was with them, keeping a close eye on the sisters. Lori and Carol were scavenging nearby cars with their children close. T-Dog was scouting further up to see if there was a way through the traffic jam. Daryl tried to keep Carol and Sophia in his sights, while also keeping a watch on T-Dog. He gnawed on his thumb. He needed to decide and decide soon. As he walked by a minivan, he caught a conversation.

"Lori, I need to talk to you," Shane said in a low voice, coming up on the other side of the minivan. Daryl sighed. If he had to bet, it was probably about whatever they had going on with them. He glanced around for Rick, who was watching the road, and Carol and Sophia, who were a few feet away and going through an old suitcase.

"Shane, I don't think now is the time," Lori said in a low voice.

"When?" Shane demanded, "We didn't get a chance to talk and I need you to hear me out, Lori."

"Shane, we have to get to-"

"How can you treat me this way?" Shane wondered, "After everything I did for you and for Carl-"

"You told me my husband was dead!" Lori hissed through clenched teeth.

"I thought he was!" Shane protested, "It was chaos in there and I tried to get him out. Then the power went out and his machines turned off. I didn't know what to do! I put my head to his chest and I listened for a heartbeat! I didn't hear it. Maybe it was the gunfire or whatever, but I thought he was dead! Then I had ya'll to think about. You and Carl. I had to get you out of there. I had to! The town was overrun!"

"You left him there!" Lori fixated on that point.

"What else could I do? You wouldn't have come with me otherwise and you and Carl would be out there wanderin' like the geeks. I saved your life and your little boy's life."

Lori let out a sigh, "Shane, my husband is alive. Whatever we had is over. I appreciate what you've done for us, but I love Rick."

"And you don't love me?" Shane asked, "Not at all? Not after everything I've done? Not after everything we had together?"

Daryl cringed at the begging tone. Ol' Shane was getting pretty desperate.

"Shane, I love Rick," Lori stated again, sounding almost as if she was convincing herself, "I love Rick. He is my husband and the father of my child."

"Lori, what we had was real," Shane tried to convince her, "It was real-"

"It's over," Lori said firmly, meaning to walk away, but Daryl saw Shane grab her wrist.

"You only love him because he's your husband and you're supposed to have feeling for him, but I know that when you loved me, it was real. It wasn't because you felt obligated-"

SLAP!

Daryl flinched as Lori's hand connected with the side of Shane's face. Then she turned and walked away, not bothering to look at Daryl as she stormed away. Shane started after her, dumbfounded, but stopped. Then he turned and saw Daryl at the minivan and the dumbfounded expression was replaced with humiliation and then a cold, defiant mask, almost as if the ex-cop held Daryl responsible for Lori's slap. Knowing that this was definitely not a situation for him, Daryl simply turned and walked towards T-Dog. He had bigger fish to fry than Lori and Shane's spat. They would have minutes before the herd converged on them. Did he go after Sophia or take care of T-Dog? He remembered Merle's advice: Think long term. But how could he do that when it would mean losing Sophia all over again?

Then he saw Rick running towards Lori, Carl, Carol, and Sophia.

"Get under the cars! Get under the cars!" he hissed. Daryl watched as Carl and Sophia obeyed, sliding themselves underneath the vehicles. Carol and Lori were under a truck together. Carl and Sophia were under another pair of cars. He wanted to run to them, but they were safe from most of the herd. T-Dog wasn't.

Daryl ran through the broken down vehicles. He saw the blood trail and lunged forward, impaling the walker pursuing T-Dog through the base of the neck. He shoved the corpse onto T-Dog, but before he could make a run back to the cars where Carol and Sophia were hidden, he heard shuffling feet.

"Shit," he cursed, grabbing that smelly, shrivelled up dead bastard from the car and hiding under it.

It was agonizing, waiting for the herd to pass by, but he focused on his next move to keep himself sane. He would tie up T-Dog's wound. Then he would run for the forest. He knew where Rick put Sophia. He would find her. Then the shuffling feet passed him, moved on, but before he could rejoice, he heard a cry, not Carol's, but Amy's.

He flung the corpse off of him and quickly freed T-Dog. He used his belt and a bandana to stop the blood flow.

"I'll send someone for ya," he muttered before he ran towards the RV. Dale was on top of the RV, panicked as he looked down into the air vents. The RV was rocking and Daryl was sure it wasn't the good kind. He lunged inside and was met with three walkers clamouring into the tight space, trying to get at the back. A walker body was on the ground in front of the bathroom, where he could see Andrea's panicked face looking out. Daryl reacted, letting an arrow fly and taking out the walker in the middle. The he lunged forward with his knife and took out another. Then Shane was there with a screw driver and taking out the other.

Breathing hard, the pair looked at each other before Shane roughly pulled the plastic divider back, revealing Jacqui who was protecting a shaken Amy. Apparently, his two rescues were magnets for trouble.

"They heard us," Jacqui gasped, "When Andrea took out the other walker, they heard us! We tried to be quiet!"

"Just calm down," Shane said softly, "It's all alright, now. You guys are okay-"

Then an anguished cry filled the air.

"Now what?" Shane grumbled, but Daryl was off like a shot, out of the RV and running as if his life depended on it. It was Carol's cry. He heard Shane's boots behind him.

"Walkers!" Carol gasped in explanation, "Walkers chased my baby down into the forest! There are two walkers after my baby!" she sobbed as Lori held her back, preventing her from running into the trees and Shane's hands were on Lori. No one prevented Daryl from flinging himself over the guardrail.

"Someone get T!" he called, "He cut himself on some metal!"

He could hear Shane cursing from the highway and allowed himself to scoff at thoughts of the self-professed hero who did nothing to go after Sophia. Then Daryl disappeared into the treeline, running as fast as his legs would carry him. He viscously knocked away the branches and twigs. Nothing could slow him. He had to get to her. Vaguely, he could hear Rick's shouts, drawing away the pursuing walkers. Sophia must have been safely hidden. Then Daryl came over a rise and stopped cold. A walker, possibly the one he and Rick dissected in the other timeline, stood between him and Sophia, who had just climbed up the creek bed. She screamed and darted off into the opposite direction.

"Shit!" he cursed loudly, drawing the walker's attention. He put an arrow in its eye and then lunged forward, retrieving the arrow and tearing off in the direction of Sophia. It was a good thing that his body was slowly starting to build some better stamina. The damn kid ran like a damn jack rabbit.

"Sophia!" he hissed as he ran for her. She didn't stop, even when he called out to her again, louder, "Sophia! Sophia, stop!" he shouted. She wouldn't. She just kept running, scared out of her damn mind. Finally he caught her around the waist. She screamed and fought at him.

"NO! NO! NO!" she screamed in his hold. He clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Sophia! Easy, now, Soph! Easy, Girl, it's me. It's Daryl," he panted, wrestling the both of them to their knees. Fucking kid was a fighter. She even caught him on the side of the face with her small fist.

"Sophia, stop!" he ordered firmly, "Your safe, now, Sweetheart. Stop it, now! I ain't gonna hurt ya, Kid!"

She stilled and he let her go. She was shaking and looking up at him with wide, terrified eyes. She was panting as hard as he was. She looked like a rabbit that had just been snared and had no chance of escape.

"It's alright, Kid," he assured her, "You're okay. It's just me. Daryl," he said, slowly reaching out to her. She flinched away and he retracted his hand. He remembered what she had been through at the CDC. His stomach lurched. Had Ed grabbed her that way when he…

He tried a different approach, putting his hands on his knees and staring her square in the eyes and holding her brown eyes with his blues, "I ain't gonna hurt ya, Kid. Promise. I just wanna take ya back to your momma. Can we go?" he asked, slowly offering his hand.

"O-Okay," she whimpered, reaching out. Daryl sighed in relief. He had her. He found her. She would be fine. He would take her back to her mother. She would not have to sleep alone, cry herself to sleep, go hungry, or any of those other things that Carol imagined in the other timeline. Daryl would not have to regret losing her. Sophia would live on.

"Let's-"

He stopped talking. He heard a shuffling noise. Then there was moaning. Ah, shit. Couldn't he just have one fucking moment of peace? Sophia whimpered behind him as he readied his bow.

"Fuck," he cursed. Their scuffle had attracted unwanted attention. A lot of it. He counted seven walkers, but he knew from experience that there would be others on the way. He turned to Sophia, "Alright, Sweetheart, ya gotta trust me, alright?"

"Don't leave me alone!" she begged, clutching his arm painfully.

"Ain't doin' that, kid. Ain't leavin' ya alone now that I found ya," he assured her, "Come with me. I know a place we can hole up for the night. Ya trust me?"

He looked into her eyes again. She nodded.

**TBC**

**And isn't that the way it always works? Things are starting to go good and then it all hits the fan. Gotta love the cliffhanger, though. Reviews? Let me know your thoughts!**


	9. Cherokee Roses

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. So know we see Daryl taking care of Sophia and guiding her through the forest. Of course, there's a few complications. The song is called 'Through the Trees' and it comes from the movie 'Jennifer's Body'. The song was the best thing about that incredibly weird movie.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 8: Cherokee Roses**

_I remember how we used to talk  
about the places we would go when we were off  
and all that we were gonna find.  
And I remember watching our seeds grow  
and how you cried when you saw  
the first leaves show.  
The love was pouring from your eyes._

_So can you see the branches hanging over me?  
Can you see the love you left inside of me?  
in my face, can you see?_

_Through the trees_  
_I will find you;_  
_I will heal the ruins left inside you._  
_Cuz I'm still here breathing now_  
_I'm still here breathing now..._  
_I'm still here breathing now..._  
_until I'm set free._  
_Go quiet through the trees._

_Take my breath as your own  
Take my eyes to guide you home_  
**…Low Shoulder – Through the Trees**

* * *

"Is it safe?" Sophia asked, clutching Daryl's arm as he led them to the dilapidated old farm house. It was starting to get dark and the last thing he wanted to do was wander around the forest at night with a terrified little girl.

"I'm hopin' so," he said back, "Might be food inside too."

She seemed to perk up at the idea of food and willing followed him inside. He shut the door and looked around. It was rundown with broken boards and loose nails. They were in the kitchen area and he glanced over some broken chairs and then directed her towards the pantry cupboard.

"Alright, ya hide in here and I'm gonna go check the rest of the house," he said. She panicked.

"You can't leave me!" she whimpered, clinging to him. He knelt down to her level.

"I ain't goin' anywhere, Soph. I just wanna make sure this place is safe. Now all I need ya to do is to get down in that cupboard and count to one hundred. Betcha I'll be here before you finish," he grinned at her. It took her a second to nod her head. He waited until she was shut into the cupboard and then he did a quick sweep of the lower level and then the upper one. There were no unpleasant surprises and he returned to her just as she was coming up to eighty-four. He opened the cupboard and smiled.

"Told ya so," he said to her. She smiled back.

"There is food in here, Daryl. Look," she showed him a can of sardines, "I know you can eat 'em without cookin' them. Here."

He took the can she offered to him and peeled off the lid, "You know, you're pretty smart, Kid."

"I read a lot. Momma says you learn a lot by reading," Sophia told him. Daryl smirked. If he was ever looking for Carol at the prison, all he would need to do was take the short walk to the prison library. He would find her curled up with a book on one of the armchairs next to an oil lamp.

"Your Momma is a smart woman," Daryl grunted, shoving a sardine into his mouth. He noticed that she pulled a face when she ate a sardine. It wasn't a kid-friendly food, but she ate another one like a champ. He smiled, "Ya know, ya can also run like a fu-freakin' bunny rabbit," he told her. Sophia blushed.

"I used to be on the track team before," she explained, "I wanted to play soccer, but Momma said Daddy said 'no'."

Daryl chose to ignore the remark about Ed, saying, "We'll spend the night here. You'll be safest in that pantry. I can run and grab ya a blanket from upstairs. That okay?"

"But what about you?" she asked. That wary look had returned to her eyes.

"I'll be right outside your door," he assured her.

"But what if a walker gets you?" she asked, frowning. He chuckled.

"Don't you know who I am, Sweetheart?" he teased, "I'm Daryl Dixon. Walkers _run_ in fear of me. If one bites me, I won't be turnin' into a geek. Nope. He'll be shivellin' up and dyin'. True story."

She laughed, "Daryl, that's not true."

"Sure it is, Girl. Ain't nothin' can kill a Dixon 'cept a Dixon," he told her, "Stay put. I'll run and getcha that blanket."

When he came back, she was safely tucked away in her pantry, waiting for him. She had thrown the empty sardine cans into the trash bucket. He chuckled.

"Ya a neat freak to?" he teased, passing her the blanket.

"Momma always kept the house nice and clean," Sophia said reverently as she cuddled up in the blanket, "Will we find my mom tomorrow, Daryl?"

"I'm sure of it, Kid," he assured her, sitting down with his back against the wall. She was silent for several moments.

"Are you sure walkers can't get in?" she asked.

"Nothin's gettin' in here, Kid. It'd have to go through me and I'm pretty good at killin' shit…uh, I mean crap," he amended. Sophia giggled and clutched her doll to her chest.

"But if the walkers-"

"Shoot girl, ya want me to tell ya a true story 'bout walker killin'? Ya see awhile back, I was lookin' for someone in a forest like this one. I ended up fallin' down a ravine and into a creek. One of my arrows went through my side…"

He told her the story, how he tried climbing the ravine again and ended up falling again. He told her how he woke up to find a walker nibbling on his boot and how he killed it. He told her how he then pulled the arrow out of his side and shot the second walker. He even told her about his hallucination and how Merle had guided him up the ravine. She had fallen asleep by the end of it, but for what she heard, she had listened in rapt attention. It was no bedtime story, but it sure did the trick.

He stayed up the whole night. He wasn't about to fall asleep and let anything happen to Sophia. He wasn't losing her again. Not now, not ever. He would take her back to Carol, alive and whole. One of the things that Daryl had always admired about Carol was her capacity to love and care for others. It was one of the things that he had first noticed about her back in the original timeline. She was always sheltering Sophia from danger and protecting her. That alone had earned her Daryl's respect at the beginning. Any woman who was that set on protecting her kid was alright in his book. His own mother was a lot different. When she was sober, she was a fine, loving woman. When she was drinking, she could be as mean as his daddy if she wasn't crying. Daryl would never forget a night about a month before she died. His old man had been laying it on him and she had stood by, drinking out of the whiskey bottle, watching as his dad lashed him with the belt. Merle, fifteen at the time, had been the one to help him afterwards. Though Merle would never tell him, he was certain that his older brother had given his mother hell the next morning.

Daryl shook his head as if he could shake the memories out of his mind. The last thing he needed to consider was the past. He was here to change the future. His priority was to return Sophia safely to her mother and then he would work on protecting both of them from this shitty world. He'd be the protector Carol had come to rely on, then, maybe once he proved himself to her, there would be time to work on them.

_Daryl let the arrow fly. It hit its mark and Daryl collected the squirrel from the tree. Dinner would be lean. An owl, four squirrels, and a can of mystery food for ten people. It was a far cry from the suppers they had feasted on at Hershel's farm. He sighed and returned to camp, already coming to terms with missing a meal. He took watch, sitting on the hood of Rick's truck. He figured that the group would forget about him and he wouldn't have to go about the awkward business of refusing the food. He hadn't counted on Carol._

_"Here," she had come up to the truck and was holding out a small cup of "stew", which was little more than warm water and some kind of meat._

_"Ain't hungry," he dismissed her. She frowned._

_"You need your strength," she tried again. He huffed and a cloud of his breath wafted in front of him._

_"Give it to someone who needs it," he grumbled, "You eat it."_

_"Daryl, you're more important than I am," Carol replied firmly, "Take it."_

_He scowled and looked at her, "This more shit 'bout ya bein' a burden?" he demanded, "Don't tell me I taught ya to defend yourself for nothin'."_

_"You protect and provide for this group. I heat up water and add meat to it. Take it," she said again. He narrowed his eyes at her before they focused on movement behind her. He hefted his bow and shot, killing a stumbling walker. She looked behind her with mild interest._

_"Eat the damn food and quit distractin' me from watch," he ordered._

_"That right there is why you need this more than I do," she said stubbornly, "You're our protector. You need it."_

_Then she walked away, leaving the cup on the hood for him, knowing that he wouldn't refuse and waste precious food. He was cursing her name as he let the hot liquid flow down his throat. _

Carol was always like that and in truth, she looked out for the group as much as, if not more than, he did. He protected them from walkers and hunted up food, but she made sure they all ate, slept, had warm and clean clothes, offered up medical support, and was the first to lend a sympathetic ear to anyone. She had a place in the group just as he did. Still, she would never earn that place without him there. He was her protector, her champion, and he would not fail her if he could help it.

At first light, he gently tapped on the pantry door. Sophia opened it and grinned at him. He noticed then that she had her mother's smile and Daryl felt his affection for the child grow simply by the association.

"Mornin' Daryl," she greeted.

"Mornin' sleepyhead. Ready to get goin'? he asked, opening another can of sardines for them to share before they headed out.

"Yes, Sir. I wanna find my mom," she said.

"Good. And none of that 'yes, Sir' crap," he scolded her with a smirk. She nodded happily and ate the meagre breakfast. Then they got to their feet. Sophia opened the door and then let out a gasp. Then a walker woman was lunging into the house at her.

Daryl reacted, roughly pushing Sophia aside and he jabbed his right arm under the walker's neck and pushed it back to the outside, falling with it down the front steps. He was on top of it as it struggled and he reached for his knife, bringing it down over and over into the walker's skull. He sank back, panting and looked wildly around for others, but there were none. He stumbled back into the house. The thing had been inches away from tearing into Sophia's shoulder. If she got bit, if she failed, how could he ever face the others? How could he even face Carol? It had been bad enough mustering the will to look at her the last time he had failed her daughter and he didn't know if he had it in him to do that again.

"Sophia?" he called. She was lying unconscious on the floor next to a broken table and Daryl felt his stomach drop as he fell to his knees beside her, "Soph! C'mon, Kid, don't do this! Not again!" he panicked as he gently tapped her face. She was starting to come to, her brown eyes dazed as she looked at him.

"Daryl?" she asked.

"You're alright, Kid. I'm here," he whispered, his eyes scanning her for injuries, but thankfully, she was whole. The walker hadn't bit her. He let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. She sat up, wincing as she reached back and rubbing her head. She frowned and pulled her hand away, showing Daryl the blood there. He paled.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, moving to examine the injury. She yelped in pain as he touched the gash that had formed there when her head met the edge of the table.

"It hurts," Sophia whimpered.

"Dammit, I know, Kid. Shit, I'm so sorry!" he apologized, reaching for his bandana in his back pocket and pressing it to her wound. When he had shoved her aside, he had shoved her into the table. He had saved her life only to bloody her head up.

"Daryl, I want my mom," she sniffled, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. Daryl bit his lip and nodded. He thought about their general location. He debated leading her back to the highway. It was a long trek and he wanted to get her to safety as fast as possible. He knew that Hershel's farm was only a mile, maybe two away. He could go back to the highway later.

"I know, Sweetheart. Can ya stand?" he asked, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. She took it and stumbled like a fawn trying out its legs for the first time. She took a couple shaky steps, grasping his hand tightly as he led her to the doorway. She stopped cold when she saw the dead walker and yelped, pressing back into him.

"It's okay, Girl. It's dead. It won't hurt ya," Daryl whispered soothingly.

"It tried to bite me," Sophia whimpered. A chill swept through him as he realized what would have happened had he not been there. He now knew how Sophia had come to be a walker in the other timeline. She would have opened the door and would have been bitten by that walker woman. He ran his hands through his hair. He had just saved her life.

"I know, Kid. It's gone now. Won't ever let that happen. C'mere," he called to her. She clung to him, falling into his open arms and crying into his shirt, "Shit, Kid, I got ya. I got ya."

She was still shaky when they finally made their way outside. She was upset with a hell of a head injury. He had to take her to Hershel. He knew the old man would help her. She clung tightly to his arm and her eyes darted nervously around as they made their way through the overgrown yard. She was scared out of her mind. Daryl wished that he had a way to make her feel better.

Then his eyes spied something white across the yard. A slow smile spread over his face as he led Sophia to it.

"See this, Soph?" he pointed the flower out to her, "This here is a Cherokee Rose. See, when the European settlers came here, they forced the Indians off their lands. The Cherokee mothers were cryin' a lot 'cause they were losin' their lil' ones to diseases or the cold or starvation. Some of them kids just disappeared. So then the Indian elders prayed for somethin' to uplift the mothers' spirits and give 'em hope and strength. The next day, wherever the mothers' tears fell, these white Cherokee Roses started to bloom. It gave them hope. Now it's gonna give us hope."

Sophia wiped her eyes, "I like that story better than the one last night," she said. Daryl chuckled.

"Me too," he agreed, "I didn't fall down a cliff in this story."

She smiled and gently reached to touch the white petals, "These give hope?"

"Yep," Daryl nodded. Again, he was reminded of Carol and how she had delicately fingered the snow white petals of the Cherokee Rose before she looked at him, with hope and tears in her eyes, and proclaimed that they would find Sophia. Daryl reached out and snapped the rose off, "And this one is for you," he said, holding it out for her. She smiled slightly as she took it and tucked it inside the strap of her doll's dress.

"It's pretty. Do you think my mom would like one too?" she asked.

"I know it," he assured her, snapping another rose off of the bush, "C'mon Kid, let's go."

They had their way through the forest with Daryl stopping every now and then to check her head. It had stopped bleeding and the blood had matted her blond hair to her head. He felt horrible just looking at it, knowing that he had caused her that injury. They arrived at the creek, another familiar landmark. He glanced up the side of the ravine and his resolve wavered. Climbing that fucker had been hard enough the first time without an injured kid. Of course this time, he was in peak physical health, so that had to count for something.

"Alright, we'll try to make it up there. You go first. That way, if you fall, I'll catch you," he instructed. She raised an eyebrow.

"But who will catch you?" she asked, "You said last night you weren't no good at climbing hills."

"Don't be a smart-ass, Bunny Rabbit, and hop to it," he growled. She smiled at the nickname and began to climb. She did quite well with using all of the tiny crevices that were too small for Daryl's boots. Plus her weight was supported by some of the smaller trees, while his wasn't. He found this out the hard way when he grabbed for a small tree. It snapped and he went tumbling down the hillside. He heard her call his name as he fell down into the water. He hissed as an arrow pieced his side.

"Argh!" he groaned, lifting his head up to see the water around him turn red, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

"Daryl!" she called to him, sliding back down the hill quickly and with far more ease than Daryl ever would have achieved, "Daryl, are you alright?" she asked, sloshing through the water to his side. He sat up.

"Fucking fantastic," he growled. She gasped when she saw his wound.

"An arrow?" she gasped, "Again?

"Yeah, fuckin' again," he grumbled. It seemed that no matter what timeline, he was destined to have a goddamn arrow sticking out of his side. Hopefully that didn't mean that he was destined to be shot in the goddamn head again. That fucker had hurt too.

"What do I do?" Sophia whimpered. He looked up at her and saw that she was starting to panic.

"Soph, I need ya to find my crossbow. It fell in the deeper water. It's heavy so when ya find it, tell me and I'll come get it," he instructed her. He didn't want her bandaging his side. It was harder this time as he didn't have sleeves on this shirt. He ended up cutting strips out of his pants to tie around his body. Then he gritted his teeth, ready to pull the arrow out when Sophia called him.

"Daryl, I found it!"

He staggered to his feet and waded out to her. The arrow could wait until he had his bow. Then he could protect them. He fished his bow out of the water just as Sophia gasped. He snapped his head up and raised the empty bow only to come face to face with a heavy-set man pointing a rifle at him.

"The hell are you?" Daryl demanded, lowering his weapon.

"You bit?" the man asked, gesturing to the blood staining the water.

"Shot myself," Daryl grumbled, standing to his full height to show off the arrow, "Who are you?"

The man lowered his weapon and extended him a hand to help him out of the water, "Name's Otis. Come on outta there. I can getcha patched up."

Otis. Hershel's man that would shoot Carl and then be shot by Shane. He was the man responsible for Sophia being in that barn. He now realized how it happened. She had been bit at the house. Maybe turned there and stumbled to the creek or maybe she stumbled there as a human and then turned. Either way, that was where she dropped her doll and that was where Otis had found her. She would have been tucked into the barn long before Carl was shot.

"Daryl Dixon," Daryl introduced as he took the man's hand, "This is Sophia. We were separated from our group. She hit her head earlier and needs help."

"You do too, pal. If you folks follow me, I can get you to Hershel. I don't want to risk taking out that arrow out here," Otis said, "What happened?"

"We was in a farmhouse back there and a walker tried to get at us. I shoved her out of the way and she hit her head," Daryl explained Sophia's wound.

"I was askin' 'bout the arrow in your side," Otis clarified, "but Hershel will definitely take a look at her."

"Was climbin' that ridge and fell," Daryl growled, "The crossbow went off."

"Well, Hershel will get ya sorted," Otis replied confidently, "It's only a mile and a half. Are you alright walking?"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Daryl muttered, staggering after Otis, "C'mon, Soph."

He looked back at the little girl. She looked very unsure of the new man, shrinking to make herself seem small and invisible. Daryl sighed and held out a hand.

"It's alright. He's gonna help. We'll be alright, Bunny Rabbit. Hop to it," he called her. He figured it might work. She had liked the nickname before and it seemed to do the trick. She cautiously crept forward and grabbed his arm. It was a slow walk and a couple times they needed to stop and rest. Otis was a talker, much to Daryl's annoyance. Sophia still hadn't said anything to the man, clutching Daryl's arm. At one point, she reached up and tugged on his shirt. She was wincing horribly.

"Daryl, I don't feel good," she whispered.

"I know. Hershel's gonna sort ya out, Kiddo. Promise," Daryl whispered back, now more anxious than ever to see the old man who had treated him like a son. Finally, they managed to reach the treeline. Daryl could see the house, the sheds, stables, and the barn. It all looked so serene and peaceful.

Daryl smiled and tried to dismiss the thought that he had returned to a long-lost home.

"What happened? Who is this?" a familiar voice boomed as Daryl, Otis, and Sophia drew closer. Hershel Greene stood on the porch without the use of a cane or crudely made prosthetic. He was clean-shaven and, despite his age, he put up an imposing figure. He was definitely a sight for sore eyes

"I found this man and his daughter in the woods. He fell down into the creek-bed and his crossbow went off. The girl has a head injury," Otis said, "He said that they were separated from their group. They need some help."

"Be mighty grateful," Daryl panted, clutching his side. A thin sheen of sweat now covered his face and his shirt was soaked through with his own blood. Hershel walked down the steps and observed the wound.

"It looks safe enough to pull out. I don't believe you hit anything major. You will need stitches. Up you get now, Son," the old man drawled, "Maggie, get my kit and have Patricia meet me in the lower bedroom."

Otis and Hershel helped him to the bedroom and he bent over the bed. Maggie Greene emerged carrying a black bag. It was like seeing a little sister again after being away for so long. He hadn't counted on how much he had missed the Greenes until they were standing before him. She placed the bag by her father, who fished out some pain killers and fed them to Daryl.

"Those are quite strong," Hershel cautioned.

"What about Sophia?" Daryl panted, "She hit her head."

Hershel frowned and called to Patricia, "Would you mind taking a look at her?" he asked, "She's looking a little green 'round the gills."

"Of course. Come on, Honey," Patricia said gently, holding out her hand. Sophia cast a look at Daryl.

"Go on, Lil' Rabbit," Daryl managed through clenched teeth, "She'll help ya out. Take care of ya."

"But you," Sophia whispered, glancing at the bloody arrow.

"Ya don't need to see this, Kid. When we're done in here, ya can come back," Daryl promised, "It's okay, Soph."

Finally the girl nodded and let Patrica take her into the next room.

"Alright, let's get this out of you," Hershel sighed.

Daryl took a breath and readied himself, determined not to make a sound when Hershel forced the arrow out. He didn't want to scare Sophia in the kitchen. He didn't cry out, but as the arrow began to move, he emitted a low, guttural sound from the back of his throat and he couldn't help the gasp of relief as the arrow left his body. Hershel told him to lay on the bed so he could close the wound.

"So Otis said that you and your daughter were wandering out in the forest," Hershel made conversation as he stitched.

"Soph isn't my daughter," Daryl grunted, "Her mother is up at the interstate with the rest of our group. We got separated when two walkers-"

"Walkers?" Maggie asked from the doorway, raising an eyebrow.

"The dead," Daryl clarified, "It's what we call 'em. Anyway we got stopped on the highway when a herd of them things came on us. Two stragglers went after Sophia and chased her into the trees. I went after her…Jesus, man, I ain't a pin chushion," Daryl winced as the stitching needle pierced a sensitive area, "Shit, sorry. Anyways we spent the night in an abandoned farmhouse. This morning, we went to go and one of them went after her. I pushed her out of the way, but she fell and hit her head. We tried to go up that ridge to get to high ground. Fell and got an arrow in my side."

"Well, you're very fortunate that you survived such a thing," Hershel said. Patricia came back into the room.

"She won't need stitches, but she has a slight concussion," she reported, "I just need to clean up the wound, but she's been asking for you and her mother."

"'Course," Daryl nodded, "Do what ya have to do."

"You'll need to take it easy for a few days," Hershel said, finishing his suturing, "Definitely no more climbing steep ridges."

"Trust me, I won't be trying that again," Daryl muttered, "How soon can I get outta here? I promised the kid I'd get her back to her momma."

"Definitely not in the next few hours," Hershel replied, "You've lost a lot of blood and those pain killers were strong."

Daryl frowned, "When?" he asked. He tried to sit up, but was hit by a wave of dizziness. He fell back into the pillow and winced.

"Daryl?" Hershel asked.

"I'm okay," Daryl admitted, even though Hershel swam in and out of focus, "I'm fi..."

His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell into unconsciousness.

**TBC**

**So Daryl managed to make it to the farm house with a living Sophia, but what's going to greet him when he wakes up? Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!**


	10. Bloody Hands

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. Daryl's waking up now and there's some trouble brewing.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 9: Bloody Hands**

_You disappear with all your good intentions  
And all I am is all I could not mention  
Like who will bring me flowers when it's over  
And who will give me comfort when it's cold  
See I never meant for you to have to crawl  
No I never meant to let you go at all  
Oh, no  
Oh, no  
I'm only human  
I said I'm only human_  
**…Thriving Ivory – Flowers for a Ghost**

* * *

**_Clap. Clap. Clap._**

**_Daryl opened his eyes, once again to the white of the dream world. He looked to the right and saw Merle sitting beside him, smirking as he slowly clapped his hands._**

**_"Didn't think ya had it in ya, Baby Brother, but clearly I've underestimated you," Merle chuckled. Daryl sat up and rubbed his head._**

**_"What the fuck happened?" he groaned. His head ached something awful._**

**_"My guess? Lack of food and sleep, blood loss, and those happy pills the doc gave ya caused you to conk out. Feelin' it?" Merle asked, his smirk widening._**

**_"Shit," Daryl cursed, "Sophia!"_**

**_"She's banged up, Lil' Brother, but she's alive!" Merle laughed, "Same with Ol' Butterfingers too, even if he is lookin' worse for wear. And the chicks in the RV. Nice work."_**

**_"Glad I proved you wrong," Daryl now mustered a smirk of his own. Merle seemed to sober slightly._**

**_"I ain't wrong 'bout this next part, Brother. There's gonna be consequences to this shit you pulled," Merle said._**

**_"Consequences?" Daryl demanded._**

**_"I'll let ya figure that part out on your own, but before I go," Merle paused, ensuring that he had Daryl's attention, "Remember that you'll be takin' a trip down to Barksdale pretty soon."_**

**_"Merle-"_**

**_But it was no use. The dream world faded. _**

Daryl woke to crying. He sat up, feeling a little dizzy, but nowhere near as bad as before. He noticed an IV hooked to his arm. He looked around and noticed that Patricia was speaking in low tones to a crying child sitting in the rocking chair. Sophia.

"What the hell?" Daryl demanded, but his voice was scratchy.

"Daryl!" Sophia launched herself into his arms, sobbing into his shirt. He winced as his stitches pulled.

"What's goin' on?" he asked. Patricia looked at him almost sympathetically.

"She was terrified when she found out you passed out," the blond woman explained, "Scared out of her mind, poor thing. You ought to have told us that you hadn't eaten or slept before we gave you those drugs. Hershel had to hook you up to an IV line for nutrients. Anyways, once we calmed her down, she ate and had a short nap on our couch. I was just about to wake her, but she just woke up screamin' and cryin'."

"Shit," Daryl cursed, "What's the matter, Soph? Rabbit?" he tried her nickname. Sophia sniffled.

"I had a bad dream," she murmured. Daryl frowned.

"Oh?"

"I dreamed that the walker in the house got me," Sophia cried, "I dreamed that it bit me on my shoulder and then I was running from it and fell in the creek and…" she broke off into sobs, "I want my mom."

"Of course, Kid."

"Hopefully once Otis gets back, he can take you on up to the highway," Patricia said. Daryl frowned.

"Where's Otis?" he asked.

"He went hunting," she answered, "We really don't want to butcher another cow for meat."

Daryl winced and prayed over and over that the others were safely at the highway and that they hadn't decided to go wandering in the forest. The forest was dangerous and he wasn't there to protect them, but also, if they were wandering around, then Carl would end up with a bullet in his chest. Dammit, please don't let it happen!

"DAD!" Maggie's panicked cry echoed through the house. Daryl sat a little straighter and Sophia clung tighter to Daryl, pulling again uncomfortably on the stitches. A scream like that meant something was terribly wrong. Don't be Carl. Don't be Carl. Please Don't be Carl.

"Was he bit?" Hershel's question echoed through the house.

"Shot! Shot by your man, Otis!" a desperate, familiar voice sobbed from outside. Shit, Daryl thought.

"Rick!" Sophia gasped. Daryl's heart was pounding in his chest as he ripped the empty IV needle from his arm and staggered to his feet. He moved with Sophia into the foyer, clutching at the wall to steady himself. His heart lurched when he saw Rick, drenched in fresh blood, enter the house, carrying an unconscious Carl. Once again, Daryl couldn't prevent a horrible, horrible event. It was worse, a thousand times worse now that he could see firsthand the damage that he had failed to stop.

Hershel wasted no time and upon seeing Daryl and Sophia were out of the bedroom he ordered Rick inside.

"Put him on the bed there, Maggie, Patricia, I'll need your help," Hershel commanded, barking out orders to the women. Daryl and Sophia watched as Rick gently placed his son on the bed and held a folded pillow case to Carl's chest.

"What's your name?" Hershel asked.

"R-Rick. I-Is he alive?" Rick asked as Hershel listened to Carl's chest for a heartbeat.

"I have a heartbeat. It's weak. Rick, we're going to do all we can to save your boy, but you need to give us some space," Hershel commanded. Rick numbly staggered out of the room, keeping his eye on the prone, pale body of his son. Then he raised his eyes to the entryway where Daryl and Sophia stood.

"Oh God!" Rick lurched forward and to Daryl's immense shock, Rick hugged him, sobbing in relief and desperation.

"I like you too, Rick," Daryl mumbled, glancing to Sophia, who didn't quite seem to know whether to smile or cry. Her best friend was lying on that bed.

"W-We looked for you. All of us. They others were headin' back to the road," Rick rambled, "Carl was just standing there and then the deer and-"

"Rick!" Shane's voice boomed, just as desperate as his friend's. Shane stumbled through the door with Otis on his tail. Both men looked pale and worried. Otis just looked plain green as he tried to explain to his wife what he had done. Shane glanced at Rick, Daryl, and Sophia in turn before he addressed Rick.

"Carl? Is he alive?" Shane asked, sounding a lot more together than Rick, on second thought. Rick nodded mutely, leading his friend towards the bedroom.

"Do you know his blood type?" Hershel asked.

"A-positive, same as mine," Rick answered numbly.

"That's fortunate. Don't go far. I'm gonna need you," Hershel replied "What happened?"

"Was trackin' a buck," Otis answered, "Bullet went through it. Bullet went clean through."

"The deer slowed the bullet down which surely saved your boy's life, but it did not go through clean. It broke apart. I've counted six pieces so far. I'm going to have to operate and get them out," Hershel explained. Rick looked like he was about to collapse as he leaned on Shane for support.

"Yeah…yeah," Rick nodded tearfully watching the doctor head back to Carl. Then he collapsed in a chair, "Lori doesn't know. Lori doesn't know," he sobbed. Shane knelt before him, comforting Rick.

"C'mon, Soph," Daryl whispered to the little girl who was staring at her injured friend. Shane glanced at them then, an unreadable expression on his face, but Daryl had no time to analyze it as he pulled Sophia away from Carl's room.

"Is Carl gonna be okay?" she asked as he settled her down on the sofa in the living room. He knelt before her, looking in those big eyes of hers.

"He's gonna be fine, Sweetheart," he tried to assure her, "Hershel's gonna patch him up and he'll be okay."

"But-"

He trailed off as Shane and Rick sat themselves down outside the doorway as the Greenes worked to save Carl's life.

"Why'd I let him come with us?" Rick asked, his voice shaking, "I should have sent him with Lori."

"Don't start that," Shane said, shaking his head, "You'll never get that monkey off your back."

"Little girl goes missing. You look for her. Simple. You said call it, head back…Carl got shot because of me, because I didn't listen. It should be me in there," Rick admitted, his voice shaking. Daryl narrowed his eyes, remembering Shane's reluctance to keep up the search.

"You've been there, partner. You got through it, so will he," Shane tried to assure him.

"Is that why I got out of that hospital, find my family for it all to end here? What kind of sick joke-?"

"Shhh! You stop it. Just stop!" Shane hissed.

"Little girl goes missing…you look for her, plain and simple," Rick repeated.

"Hey, we found her," Shane said to him, but there was something off about the way he said it, like he was frustrated with the fact that Sophia and Daryl were there at all, "She's here."

"Rick! We need you!" Maggie burst out of the room without warning. Rick and Shane were in the room in a flash, but Daryl kept steady, kneeling to keep Sophia from running in there as well. Carl's screams of agony could be heard from the next room. The first scream shocked Sophia into freezing. The next one had tears streaming from her eyes.

"He's hurt bad," Sophia whimpered.

"He'll be okay, Lil' Rabbit," Daryl whispered, pulling her into his chest. Over her head, he noticed Otis and Maggie watching him with sadness in their eyes.

"STOP! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" Rick screamed from the room. He felt Sophia flinch against his chest. The anguish in Rick's voice was almost unbearable. Daryl hated seeing and hearing his friend's suffering. It was all the worse knowing that he hadn't been able to stop it. He had passed out like a pussy.

"Rick! You want him to live?" Hershel demanded.

"He needs blood!" someone inside announced.

"DO IT NOW!" Shane demanded, screaming at Rick. Sophia whimpered again. Then there was silence in the room and if Daryl hadn't known better, he would have thought that Carl had slipped away. Daryl could hear the muffled conversation in the next room. Hershel was gently explaining to Rick why he could not go to get Lori. The two men stepped out of the room and back to the sitting room.

"He's stable," Shane announced. Rick was devastated, unable to focus on anything other than his grief and his need for his wife. Shane was more together, decisive.

"Lori has to be here, Shane. She has to know," Rick whimpered.

"I get that, I'm gonna handle it, but you gotta handle your end," Shane stated firmly while the others looked on.

"My end?" Rick was confused.

"Your end is being here for your son. Even if he didn't need your blood to survive, there is no way I'd ever let you walk out that door. I'd break your legs if you tried. You know that, right? If something happened to him and you weren't here…if he slipped away while you were gone, you would never forgive yourself for something that and neither would Lori," Shane told him firmly.

"You're right," Rick admitted.

"Was I ever wrong?" Shane asked, smirking. His face grew serious.

"When you were in that hospital, the one you were never supposed to leave…you should have seen Lori, Man. The strength of that woman…you can't imagine it," Shane explained. It was plain to see the worship, the admiration in his face, "That's what you gotta have now. Carl, he needs that from you. So you wire yourself tight, my friend. You've got the hard part. You just leave the rest to me," Shane pledged as the two men embraced, Rick leaning on his best friend for support. Daryl, Maggie, and Otis stood awkwardly watching the display.

The door opened and Hershel appeared, wiping his hands with a cloth.

"He's out of danger for the moment. I need to remove the remaining fragments," Hershel announced.

"How?" Rick demanded, "You saw how he was!"

"I know and that was the shallowest one. I'll need to go deeper to get the others," Hershel was the bearer of bad news and he looked weary as he continued, "There's more."

Of course there was, Daryl thought. Apparently Rick was of the same mind as he wearily demanded for Hershel to tell him.

"His belly's distended and his pressure is dropping. That means there's internal bleeding. A fragment must have nicked one of the blood vessels. I have to open him up, find the bleeder and stitch it. He can't move at all while I'm in there. If he reacts like he did before, I'll sever an artery and he'll be dead in minutes," Herstel said clearly, making sure Rick understood, "To even try this, I have to put him under, but if I do, he won't be able to breathe on his own. Same bad results."

"What'll it take?" Rick begged.

"A respirator," Otis stepped up, "What else?"

"The tube that goes with it. Extra surgical supplies, drapes, and sutures," Hershel listed.

"If you had all that, you could save him?" Rick asked, desperation in his voice.

"If I had all that, I could try," Hershel amended.

"Nearest hospital went up in flames a month ago," Otis said, but then a look of realization dawned on his face, "The high school!"

"That's what I was thinking," Hershel confirmed, smiling at his friend before turning to the others to explain, "They set up a FEMA shelter at the high school. They'd have everything we need."

"The place was overrun last time I saw it," Otis sighed, "Couldn't get near it. Maybe it's better now."

"That's a pretty big maybe," Daryl interjected, frowning as he stood. Sophia clutched his pant leg. Shane stepped forward.

"I said leave the rest to me," he said, "Too late to take that back?"

"I hate the thought of you goin' alone," Rick told his friend. Shane just shrugged.

"Doc, can ya make me a list and draw me a map?" he asked Hershel, but Otis stepped forward.

"You won't need a map," the larger man announced, "I'll take ya there. Ain't but five miles."

"Otis, no-"

"Honey, I have to do this!" Otis cut across his wife, "I'm responsible."

"I'll go too," Daryl announced. He couldn't let Shane and Otis go alone. If he did that, Otis would die and now, Daryl was fond of the man who had saved him and Sophia in the forest.

"You can't," Otis argued, "You're injured too. If you went, you would only hurt yourself more."

"It's a suicide mission!" Daryl protested, "Ya go to this high school and ya gonna be torn apart by walkers!" he spoke the truth, telling the man exactly how he would die.

"I know what I'm doing," Otis said calmly, "I'll take your man here and we'll get everything we need. I know what this stuff looks like-"

"Ya gonna die-"

"HEY!" Shane was in Daryl's face now, the ex-cop's hands clenched around Daryl's shirt. Sophia moved behind Daryl, putting a shield between herself and the irate Shane, "CARL IS GONNA DIE WTHOUT THIS STUFF! WE NEED TO GO AND WE NEED TO GO NOW!"

He pushed Daryl backwards and he nearly stumbled over Sophia.

"Let's go," Otis urged, starting for the door. His wife was on his tail. Daryl felt sick. Otis was walking to his death, but if he didn't go, then Carl would die. Not only that, how could he truly warn Otis without accusing Shane of being a murderer. That would open up a huge can of worms. Daryl was unsure as he stepped forward, but the movement was tracked by Shane, who was back in Daryl's face.

"You stand in my way on this, I will not hesitate, Man," Shane whispered in a low, threatening voice. Then the hot-head cop was out the door. Daryl glared at his retreating form, but there was nothing he could do to stop them. He watched through the window as Shane hopped into the passenger's side of the truck and as Patricia kissed Otis goodbye. With a lurch, he realized that she would never see her husband again. There would be no body to bury, no closure. He bowed his head as the truck lurched away.

"Rick, your wife…where is she?" Maggie asked, stepping up to gently place her hand on Rick's shoulder.

"In the woods. We were lookin' for Sophia and Daryl. Shane, Carl, and I left the others. They were heading back to the highway-"

"Which others?" Daryl suddenly demanded.

"Lori, Andrea, Glenn, T-Dog, and Carol-"

"I'm goin'," Daryl volunteered, already starting for the door. The idea of Carol out there in the woods without him was more than he could bear.

"You can't go," Maggie protested, "Your stitches will tear. I'll go and find them."

"T-Thank you," Rick stammered.

"I'm goin' too," Daryl argued, "Gotta get Carol and the others here."

"Look, I'm not gonna tell you-"

"Maggie, I'm a hell of a lot more stubborn than ya are," Daryl growled, "I'll be fine. I'll even redo my own damn stitches for Christ's sake!"

"Daryl, I want to come-"

"Uh uh, Soph," Daryl refused, "Ya need to stay here with Rick and Shane where it's safe. Ya ain't goin' back in those woods. I'll bring your momma to ya," he promised.

"But you said you wouldn't leave me!" Sophia protested, fearful. Daryl cursed under his breath.

"Listen, Soph. Carl needs ya here to keep watch on him," Daryl tried.

"Daryl!" she cried. He cursed again and thought of a new approach.

"Ya ain't coming, Soph, but while I'm gone, you start countin' to a thousand. If I ain't back before then, I'll do whatever ya want me to, but I will be back, Rabbit, and your mom will be with me. Kay?" he tried the approach he had used in the farmhouse and it seemed to work. Sophia nodded and gave him the Cherokee Rose that they had been saving for Carol.

"Give Momma that. It'll make her feel better."

"I will," he promised, hugging her quickly before he followed Maggie to the stable.

"This is a dumb idea," she snarled at him as she saddled her horse.

"Look, without Rick or Shane there, these people are pretty much defenseless," Daryl argued, "Didn't want to say it in front of the kid. I can guide the others through the forest and back up to the highway while ya bring Lori back here. I can make sure the rest get back safely. I have to!"

"Your side is gonna be a bleeding mess," Maggie pointed out.

"So what? I'll take a bleeding mess so long as the others are safe," Daryl told her, "I've come too far to just let anythin' happen to them. I'm goin' and that's that."

"Dammit!" Maggie cursed in frustration, "Fine. You're riding behind me."

Daryl said nothing as he mounted the horse behind her. He had his bow and she had her baseball bat as they rode out into the forest. The ride jostled him and he was quite sure that at least two stitches were torn and the third wasn't far behind. When they heard screams from nearby, Daryl knew they were close. Sure enough, when they came riding in to save the day, Andrea was fighting with a walker. Daryl had to duck to make sure he didn't get caught in Maggie's backswing. Glenn had once made that mistake and it wasn't one that Daryl wanted to repeat. Carol, Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, and Lori gaped up at them. They were armed with axes and hatchets, though he was quite sure that none of them really knew how to use them at this point. They looked mostly unharmed. T-Dog was leaning against a tree and clutching his injured arm. Why had they even brought him along in the first place?

"Lookin' for Lori! Lori Grimes!" Maggie called as Daryl slipped off the horse. Lori stepped up.

"I'm Lori."

"Get on that damn horse," Daryl told her, "Been an accident. Carl was shot. Maggie's daddy is takin' care of him, but ya need to go now."

Lori didn't hesitate, jumping on the horse as Maggie gave directions to the Greene family farm. Then the riders were off.

"Jesus," Glenn swore, watching as the farmer's daughter took off. Daryl fought the urge to smirk. The Korean was already staring off at the farmer's daughter. Instead he turned, shot the moaning walker as it sat up, and then walked up to Carol.

"Daryl, where's Sophia-"

He stepped up to her, eager to deliver the news of her daughter's safe passage through the woods. He had waited so long for this moment, to see her face light up in joy, and now that it had finally come, he wanted to make it a moment she would always remember. Much to everyone's confusion, he presented her with the Cherokee Rose.

"What-"

"It's a symbol," Daryl explained, "Back durin' the Trail of Tears, when the Indians were gettin' moved off their lands, the Cherokee mothers were cryin' 'cause they lost their little ones along the way. The elders prayed for a sign to give the mothers hope and strength. The next day, these flowers bloomed wherever the mothers' tears fell. It gave 'em hope," he told her, and upon her still confused expression, he added, "Sophia wanted ya to have it so ya knew she was alright."

It was magic, seeing the dazed grin creep slowly to her face as her hand came to her mouth. This was the moment he had longed for and it did not disappoint.

"She's okay?" Carol asked, pleaded, hope filling every inch of her face.

"Little banged up, but she's okay," Daryl answered, "She's waitin' on us back at Hershel's farm."

Relief washed over her as tears of joy filled her eyes. Without warning, she latched her arms around his neck, holding him tightly to her. Another stitch ripped, but he could care less. He could smell that familiar scent that was all Carol. He grinned like a fool. Now he was really back at home, in her arms again. She pulled back much too soon.

"How can I ever thank-"

"Thank me by headin' on up to the highway. Promised your girl I'd bring ya back to her," Daryl told her. He then led the pack back up to the highway feeling like he was the king of the fucking world.

"You're bleeding," Andrea observed after a moment or two of walking. Daryl looked down at his side.

"Fell off a cliff and took an arrow in the side when the crossbow went off," he shrugged, "At least no one shot me with a rifle or anythin'," he muttered.

"And Sophia's alright?" Carol asked as she fell into step beside him. Daryl felt his stomach twist.

"She got her head banged up this mornin'," he admitted. Carol gripped his arm, stopping him.

"How? Is she okay?" she asked again.

"There was a walker this mornin' that attacked. I pushed her outta the way and she hit her head," Daryl explained, and upon seeing the panic and worry there, he added, "She's up at the farm. They're takin' real good care of her, but she's askin' for ya, so we gotta go."

She nodded and followed, still looking every bit as worried, though.

"So what happened out there?" Glenn asked. As they walked, Daryl explained how it all happened. He told of the chase through the woods and their stay in the abandoned farmhouse. He told them about his injury and how Otis found them.

"Dude, you are one bad ass," Glenn whistled in admiration as they climbed the hill to the road.

"Though ya woulda figured that out by now, Short Round," Daryl chuckled.

"Daryl?" Dale called down to him from the guardrail, "Jesus, are you alright? Sophia?"

"Just fine," Daryl grunted as he eased himself over the rail and helped Carol and Andrea over.

"Where are the others?" Dale demanded, out of the loop from keeping watch on the RV. Amy and Jacqui stood in the doorway to the RV, watching them.

"There was some kind of accident," Glenn offered, "Some crazy chick on a horse rides up with Daryl and they said that Carl was shot."

"Shot?" Dale questioned, his thick eyebrows popping up and under the brim of his bucket hat.

"Hunter shot him on accident," Daryl explained, "Kid's back at the farm gettin' patched up. I can lead ya there."

"Good," Dale nodded, "T-Dog, how is your arm?"

"Hurts somethin' awful," T-Dog admitted, a light sheen of sweat covering his face.

"Why the hell were ya out there with that arm?" Daryl asked him.

"Needed more man power down there," T-Dog answered, wincing as he drew his bandage back to show Dale and Jacqui the wound. It was an angry red and the blood vessels in his arm were slightly off colour.

"You need more antibiotics," Jacqui decided, rummaging in the RV for their supply from the CDC.

"No. Ain't takin' no more. They're for Amy," T-Dog refused.

"T-Dog, you have to-" Amy's protests were silenced by T-Dog shaking his head.

"You need them so your arm don't get infected. I-"

Daryl had strolled over to his bike and had revealed the large stash of drugs in the side pocket, effectively drawing all eyes to him.

"My brother's stash," he shrugged, "The crystal and ex are useless, but there's pain killers and antibiotics. And that's the good stuff. Merle had the clap on occasion," he smirked. He could almost hear his brother cussing him out in his head. He ignored the faces of his companions and straddled the bike.

"We'll get turned around and we'll get some of these into T-Dog," Dale replied. The group moved to the cars, but Daryl stopped Carol.

"I'm leadin' the pack. Ride with me and you'll get to see that girl of yours much sooner," he told her. First she looked confused. Then her face relaxed into a slow smile.

"Alright. I'll just get Glenn to drive my Cherokee," she said.

As they flew down the road on the bike, Daryl couldn't get rid of the smile on his face. He was taking her to her daughter. He would get to see them reunited and he would fulfil a secret wish he had harboured since the first time Sophia went missing. She was on the bike behind him with her arms wrapped around his waist. He sighed in contentment. She was finally right where she should be. As the bike eased forward, he relished in the feeling of the wind on his face and her arms wrapped around him. He thought it was the best feeling in the world.

He ended up being wrong. It wasn't the best feeling in the world.

The best feeling in the world came as he pulled into the Greene farm and watched as Sophia came bolting out of the house and catapulting into her mother's arms. Happy tears streamed down Carol's cheeks as she held Sophia close.

True to his word, Daryl did try to stitch his own wound, but that only amounted in Patricia admonishing him and telling him to sit still while she tended T-Dog. They were waiting for Shane and Otis to get back from the school. Daryl kept his head down, knowing that Otis would not be coming back and would die as Shane's sacrifice. Daryl had tried to stop them, but that only amounted in Shane threatening him. He couldn't have gone with them owing to his own injury and the fact that Shane probably would have saved the last two bullets instead of just one. It was just a damn shame. Otis had saved his life out in that forest.

"This Merle fellow having the clap may have saved your life," Patricia was telling T-Dog, who was wincing.

"Tryin' not to think about that," the black man grunted in pain. Jacqui smiled and gently rubbed his back.

"We did have some antibiotics from the CDC," she said, "but this one kept sayin' they were for Amy," Jacqui said, shaking her head, "Dale and I were fixing to force-feed him some if Daryl hadn't gave us those pills."

"Amy?" Patricia asked.

"She's a member of our group," Carol explained from the couch where she sat with Sophia, "She was bit a week ago, but Daryl amputated her arm to stop the infection and it worked. She's fine, but she's been on antibiotics to keep the infection away."

Patricia's eyebrows were within inches of her hairline as she looked over at Daryl, "You are a real guardian angel, aren't you?"

Daryl grunted in reply.

"He is," Carol said, causing him to turn bright red.

"Or he can see the future or something," T-Dog joked, "Man always seems to know what to do."

Daryl froze. Was he really that obvious?

But then the rest just laughed it off and he waited for his turn to be stitched up. He wanted the solitude of his tent. He wanted to be as far away from the house when Patricia discovered that she was a widow. He would be powerless to comfort her, as powerless as he had been to prevent her husband from running towards his death.

Once he was patched up and given a meal with pain pills for dessert, Patricia told him in no uncertain terms that he was not to rip those stitches out again. He had grumbled, wondering how he was going to set up the damn tent alone and injured, but in the end it didn't matter. Glenn, Dale, and Andrea had already started setting up their little camp and his tent had been one of the first to be erected. With a sigh he flopped onto his sleeping bag and let the pills work their magic.

His day had been hell and more blood was on his hands, more horror was caused by his inability to get things right. Sure, he had reunited mother and daughter, but that victory was overshadowed by the fact that Carl was inches from death, waiting on medicine won by Otis's death, and that come morning, Patricia would be a widow. Daryl had been powerless to stop any of it and now, it was on his head, adding to the weights that were already on his shoulders. Merle's disappearance. Jim's death. Ed's attempting to rape his own daughter. The deaths of the Vatos. Carl getting shot. Otis getting gunned down and left for dead.

Carol dying.

He whimpered as memories of that day flooded his head. Her scream as the walker tore into her shoulder. The way she had kissed him and told him that she loved him. The sound of the gunshot as she took her own life. The red blood on his hands as he stared down at her dead body.

He covered his eyes with his hands. Though they were cleaner than they had been in months, he was still all too aware of the blood that was on them. He prayed for sleep, anything to escape the hell he was living.

**TBC**

**Yeesh, this chapter got one hell of a re-write. Have I mentioned what a pain it is to copy the dialogue off the show? But I soldiered through it to make this flow better. Jeez, I feel kind of bad for all of the crap I keep dumping on Daryl, but hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. Let me know what you think!**


	11. Dwelling on Dreams

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 10: Dwelling on Dreams**

_What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.  
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and,_

_I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)_  
_No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)_  
_With you._

_The world was on fire and no one could save me but you._  
_It's strange what desire will make foolish people do._  
_I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you._  
_And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you,_

**…Chris Isaak – Wicked Game**

* * *

**_He was in the white dream world again. He groaned and sat up, looking for his brother, but Merle was nowhere to be seen._**

**_"Aw, come on, Merle!" he called, "Don't be a pussy! Where're ya hiding?"_**

**_"I'm not Merle," a familiar voice said from behind him. His heart beat faster in his chest as he turned. She was there. Carol. She was in a simple blue dress that brought out her eyes. Other than that, she was exactly as he remembered her, her short hair longer in the back. He stood there in shock for a moment, just staring at her as she walked towards him. Then something in him snapped._**

**_"Thank Christ for that," he growled as he moved to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her hard, like if he kissed her passionately enough, she would be able to come back to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she responded to him, kissing him back with as much fervour as him._**

**_"I've missed you," she whispered to him when the kiss broke._**

**_"Miss ya like crazy," he told her, "I can't…dammit, I'm so sorry…I-"_**

**_"Shh, it's alright, Daryl," she soothed, resting her forehead on his, "You did nothing wrong. None of it is your fault."_**

**_"I let ya die. I promised ya that I wouldn't let anythin' happen to ya and-"_**

**_"Shh," she shushed him again as she wiped tears from his cheeks, "One of us was getting bit that day, Daryl. I stepped in the way to make sure it wasn't you."_**

**_"Why? Why would ya do that?" he demanded, choking back a sob._**

**_"Because I love you," she said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "If it came down to you or me, I had always said that I would pick you."_**

**_"Well, I'm pickin' you," Daryl told her, "I'm gonna find a way to save ya. I will. I have this chance and I'll save ya. I'd give anythin'."_**

**_At this, a small frown overtook her features, "I don't think that's the point, Daryl," she told him. Now he was frowning._**

**_"The hell ya mean by that? I'm savin' ya and that's that."_**

**_"You're a different man now, Daryl. Knowing what you know, isn't there anything else that you want just as badly?" she beseeched him. His frown deepened._**

**_"You're all I want," he told her._**

**_"Why?" she asked the same question that he had._**

**_"'Cause I love ya, that's why," he echoed her, "Ain't nothin' I want more than to have ya with me again."_**

**_She nodded and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "What if you could have me sooner?"_**

**_"Like now?" he asked, his grin returning as he searched for her lips. She giggled as he kissed her lips and then moved to kiss her neck._**

**_"I forgot subtlety gets me nowhere with you," she laughed, "Pity the entire idea here is for you to figure it out on your own."_**

**_"Figure what?" he asked between placing kisses to the soft skin of her neck. She grabbed his head in her hands and forced him to look at her._**

**_"Daryl, would you like to know what I want?" Carol asked him._**

**_"It's how we work best, ain't it? Ya tellin' me what works?" he reminded her with a cocky grin. She smiled._**

**_"I know that you want to save me, Daryl-"_**

**_"And I will. Ain't no doubt," he pledged._**

**_"I know that you want to save me, Daryl," Carol repeated, "and if you do save me, then after all of this is through, I want the good man of honor I fell in love with standing at my side, alive. Don't let this, whatever this is, take you from me."_**

**_"I'll try, but you come first-"_**

**_Carol placed a finger to his lips._**

**_"Daryl, I love you. Don't make me lose you. Don't lose the good man that you've become. Otherwise all of this is for nothing," she pleaded and at his confused expression, she elaborated, "I don't need a bodyguard. I need a man who will do whatever it takes to make me happy. We both know that life is far too short to wait for happiness to come. Sometimes we just have to seize it and never let it go. Don't hesitate," she advised him. Before he could protest, her lips replaced her finger on his lips._**

**_They kissed again, weaving their tongues with each other as they battled for dominance. Daryl could feel himself responding to her and he never wanted this dream or vision or whatever the hell it was to end. He reached for the strap of her dress, intending on pushing it aside, but he found that there was no strap. He only felt the soft, smooth skin of her shoulder. He pulled away from her slightly. The dress had vanished, leaving her standing completely naked before him, smirking at the surprise on his face._**

**_"Don't you just love dreams? Anything can happen," she teased, her mouth inches from his ear. He shuddered as her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin._**

**_"Wanna stay here forever," he growled, catching her lips in his, delving mercilessly into her mouth with his tongue. He was rewarded with a moan of pleasure that drove him wild. He moved from her mouth, kissing hungrily at the flesh of her neck and down her collarbone. He needed a surface, anything that he could lay her down on and ravage her. Her grip tightened on his shoulders, pulling him towards her. He stumbled a little and they ended up falling back onto a bed that hadn't been there before. He cocked his head up, confused at the sudden appearance of the bed, but then she pulled him down to her, kissing him hard. He barely registered the change in position, but suddenly, she was on top of him, straddling him as her mouth worked its way down his neck. His shirt suddenly vanished and that mouth now peppered his chest with kisses as her hand reached down. His jeans and boxers were gone now too and her hand was stroking his already prominent erection._**

**_"Carol," he groaned her name and her lips returned to his as if he had been calling them back. He flipped them over and she moaned in protest of losing control, but then he had her moaning about his hand kneading her breast and his fingers ghosting over the hardened nipple. He worked his way down, kissing and sucking her tender flesh until his mouth met the hardened peak. She arched towards him, crying out his name. It was music to his ears and he wanted nothing more than to hear her again. He moved his mouth towards her other breast and he sucked on the nipple he found there._**

**_"Daryl, please!" she panted. He smirked into her skin as his hands moved from her breasts down to her stomach and then to the wet heat between her legs. She bucked against his hand and he had to take a breath to keep himself under control. He teased her, running his fingers over her opening and stroking his thumb over the small bud. _**

**_"Daryl, now!" she commanded, pulling his head roughly back to hers and kissing him for all she was worth. Then he was inside her, thrusting into her as she moved her hips with his. This was heaven and at that moment, he would have been perfectly okay if he died in his sleep and got to stay in this world with her for eternity. They came together at the same time, collapsing back into the sheets, panting and trying to catch their breath._**

**_"Goddamn, I missed ya," he gasped, rolling over onto his back and pulling her into his arms._**

**_"I missed you too," she smirked, gently kissing his chest. Then her face fell, "We don't have much time._**

**_ "I'll stay here with ya," he murmured, "Let me slip into a coma or somethin'."_**

**_"You have things to do, Daryl," she whispered to him, her finger tracing patterns on his chest, "You have to go back."_**

**_"I'm screwin' 'em up," he confessed, "It'd be better if I just slept 'til that day and then woke up and saved ya."_**

**_"You haven't screwed anything up," she said firmly, "You can only change what you're able to. The rest…the rest is just fate and none of it is your fault. You can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, Daryl. It will destroy you."_**

**_"But…" he couldn't form a coherent thought. How could she absolve him of his failures? How could she still see her 'man of honor' in him when a real man of honor would have known how to do this right? Like always, she seemed to understand what he couldn't vocalize._**

**_"I don't expect you to be perfect, Daryl. You're trying so hard and that's all I could ever ask of you. Enjoy the good things, Daryl, and just do what you can. You're not meant to change it all; sometimes you just can't fight fate."_**

**_"But if somethin' bad happens and I knew 'bout it, then it's my fault-"_**

**_"No," she shook her head, "No, you are not responsible for every little thing that goes wrong. You tried to warn Otis and he still chose to risk his life for Carl. You can't be responsible for other people's choices and actions. Jim chose to fight the walkers in the quarry. The Vatos had fought off violent groups before and they chose to stay. Carl chose to be in woods. Ed…" and here, her voice faltered a little, "Ed had a second chance and he chose to blow it and I chose to end his life for it."_**

**_"I'm so sorry-"_**

**_"His mistakes aren't yours, Daryl," she cut across him, "You can't blame yourself for any of it and I will never blame you for any of it," she vowed to him, sitting up to look down at him, "You're going to wake up."_**

**_"NO!" he protested._**

**_"Daryl, you're going to wake up and you're going to move forward. You're going to change what you can, and if you can't, then you are not going to blame yourself for it. You're going to chalk it up to fate and then you're going to move forward and you are going to be the man of honor that I have always loved." _**

When Daryl awoke the next morning, he had tears on his face and a sizable problem in his pants. He groaned, swiped at his eyes and stared at the ceiling of his tent. He could still feel her touch and her kiss. He could still taste her on his lips. It was torture to have these sensations without her there. The dream should have been a good thing, but all it served to do was remind him of how much he missed Carol and how he had failed to protect her. He really just wanted to close his eyes and go back there and never leave, but what good would that be to anybody? How could he dwell on dreams when he needed to fulfill his promise to save her life?

He sat up and changed his clothes, taking care of that second problem as he did so. Then he opened his tent flap and stepped into the makeshift camp. It was abuzz with activity and he realized that he had overslept.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Amy greeted from a folding chair by the fire, "You missed a lot."

"Catch me up?" he requested as he helped himself to some beans roasting in a pot over the fire.

"Shane came back last night, but Patricia's husband didn't. The funeral was this morning. Mr. Greene was able to do surgery on Carl and it went good. He'll be laid up for a while, but he's set to make a full recovery," she listed.

"Shit," he mumbled, "So everyone's spreadin' out?"

"Yeah. You missed the breakfast rush. Rick said that he and Shane were headed off to the highway later to get some more supplies. Glenn's gonna take a ride into town with Maggie to get some more medical supplies from the pharmacy later, but right now, I think the others just finished using him as walker bait," Amy said.

Daryl's eyebrows flew up, "What?"

"Andrea said that there's a walker in the well by the barn. They won't let me over there," Amy sulked, glancing over at her newly bandaged stump.

"Shit," Daryl cursed, jumping to his feet and leaving his bowl on the ground. He hefted his bow and jogged over towards the well. He knew this story quite well even if he hadn't been there for it. It was the subject of many group gatherings, something that they could remember and laugh on as no harm had befallen anyone.

He arrived at the well saw most of the group there: T-Dog, Jacqui, Andrea, Glenn, Lori, Shane, Dale, and Maggie. Glenn was on the ground, dirty from his trip down the well, panting as Lori and Jacqui rubbed his back, comforting him.

"Seen squirrels with more brains," Daryl grunted as he surveyed the group, "Ain't there a thing called self-preservation that ya'll supposed to have?" he grumbled, "Good Lord."

"We got him, though," Glenn panted, holding the end of a rope up.

"Good for you, Timmy," Daryl said, rolling his eyes, "Next time ya try to trap a walker, keep in mind that they would probably like gopher just as much as crazy Korean walker bait."

The rest of the group had the sense to look chastised for a moment, all of them suddenly realizing that they had put Glenn in danger when there had been an alternative method.

T-Dog apologized, "Sorry, Glenn."

"Well, let's get him out of there," Shane sighed, taking the lead on the walker and looping it around the pump.

"Ya might not wanna do that," Daryl suggested. Shane raised an eyebrow and ran a hand over his newly shaved head.

"And why not, Man?" Shane wondered. Daryl scowled at the patronizing tone. He strolled over and shook the pump, which was loose.

"Think that's gonna hold a 200 pound slimeball?" Daryl asked, "Just pull the damn thing out."

So that was how Daryl got a front row seat watching as the others pulled the walker out of the well. He had been excused on account of his stitches and the fact that he figured he deserved a little entertainment in hopes of lightening his shitty mood. It was when the walker neared the top of the well that Daryl remembered the next part of the story.

"Stop!" he directed.

"What?" Andrea asked.

"He's caught," Daryl observed, "Ya pull him anymore and that weak skin is gonna break and then ya got a bigger contamination problem. Do we need to look up 'observant' again?"

Andrea rolled her eyes, "Then what do you suggest, Mr. Wizard?"

Daryl grabbed a two-by-four plank and placed it under the walker's lower half. Then he leaned on the plank like a teeter-totter and the lower half of the walker raised, "Pull!" he grunted. The others obeyed and the walker was on the ground, whole, and struggling to get up.

"You're welcome," Daryl said as he walked away, leaving T-Dog to do the honors of putting the thing down. He went back to the RV where Amy was still in her chair.

"That looked like a lot of work," she commented.

"Still wouldn't drink the water," he grunted, "Where's Carol at?"

"She took Sophia to go see the chickens with Beth," Amy said, "Something happened at the CDC, didn't it?" she asked. Daryl frowned.

"No one told ya?" he asked. She shook her head.

"If I ask Andrea, she just says that there was an incident with Ed. If I ask Dale, he just tells me that Ed died," she replied, "I'm glad he's gone. He was real mean to Carol, but what happened?"

Daryl took a breath and sighed, "Ed attacked Sophia and Carol. Then Carol shot the prick."

"Jesus," Amy gasped.

"Yeah," Daryl grunted, walking towards the chicken coop. He could see Carol there, watching on the outside of the wire as Beth and Sophia sprinkled some feed on the ground for the chicks. Just seeing her standing there made his chest ache a little. He couldn't help but remember the dream and how his Carol had touched him and had gently reassured him about everything. He wanted nothing more than for her to reach out for him now, caress his face in that loving way of hers, and tell him that it would all be  
alright. He sighed as he realized that it was impossible. She had no reason to care for him like that, at least not yet in the timeline. He tried to push the thoughts of his dream aside as he walked towards her. Even though it hurt to see her, he had to be near her. He purposely made a little more noise than usual to avoid startling her. Carol turned and smiled at him. The ache returned to his chest. He loved her smile.

"I see that you're awake," she commented.

"Yeah, I'm alive," Daryl shrugged, coming to a stop at her side and glancing in the coop at Sophia to avoid looking at Carol. It hurt too much right now, "She seems to like the chickens."

"My parents had their own farm. When Sophia was little, I'd take her there and she'd play out with the animals," Carol explained. She paused for a moment and then said, "I don't know if I said it last night, but I can't tell you enough how thankful I am for what you did for her."

"Was nothin'," he shrugged.

"You did more for my little girl than her own daddy ever did in his whole life," she told him. He smiled slightly, remembering the first time she had said that to him.

"Didn't do anythin' Rick or Shane wouldn'ta done," he mumbled, mostly just to hear her next words.

"You're every bit as good as them," she said, and his smile grew. He would never tire of hearing that. She was the first person who thought he was worth something and it assured him to know that she still did. Then she continued, "Better, actually. Shane never went after her and Rick left her alone in the forest."

"Did what I had to do," he said, shrugging his shoulders again and feeling himself redden. Carol nodded.

"You know, she had a nightmare last night," she told him, "Not that it's new or anything. Sophia's had trouble sleeping since this whole nightmare began. They got worse after the CDC."

"Never noticed when we were out in the forest and I was up all night," Daryl said.

"Sometimes she wakes up and sometimes she doesn't," Carol sighed and looked as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Maybe he wasn't the only one with crushing problems at this point. He watched as Carol bit her lower lip before she continued, "The one last night was the worst. She woke up crying. She said that she got bit by the walker in the house and then that man Otis took her from the river. Then she said she was somewhere dark with other walkers, but she could hear gunshots and that she was walking to a light…she wouldn't tell me anything else," Carol finished.

Daryl's mouth had gone dry. Was Sophia remembering her death and reanimation like Amy? Would she remember emerging from the barn and seeing them all standing there, guns drawn, as she stumbled over walker corpses? Suddenly he felt sick. The ache inside of him felt different now.

"Is that all?" he asked. He had to know.

"Like I said, she won't tell me," Carol admitted, "I just can't help but wonder what this…all of this is doing to her."

"She's a tough kid, Carol," he told her, "She'll be alright."

"She's scared out of her mind, Daryl. Not just of walkers, but of everyone!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down so Sophia wouldn't hear, "How will she be alright? I would give my life just to make it all better for her and to make it so she doesn't have to cower at the slightest sound or flinch at the smallest movement. This thing…this walker apocalypse and everything that happened at the CDC…it's like it stole her confidence away and I would give anything to give it back to her."

Daryl chewed his thumbnail. Talk of her giving up her life made him nervous and reminded him of his dream where she had explained how she had given her life for him. That couldn't happen. He needed to think of something to help her with Sophia. He didn't like to see Carol despair, even if she wasn't his woman. That much had always been true since the beginning. Carol sighed, but remained where she was, watching Sophia cautiously reach into the bucket of chicken feed beside Beth.

"She don't seem to mind me too much," Daryl ventured. Carol nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

"She sees you as a superhero. That's another thing she told me," she said. Daryl felt the blush creeping back to his face.

"Really? Why?" he asked. She shot him an incredulous look.

"You saved her life, Daryl," she replied, "She saw you kill walkers without fear. She said you always know what to do and she's right, really. You protected her. If she was by herself, I don't know if she would have made it."

She wouldn't have, Daryl thought. If he hadn't been there, Sophia Peletier would be a walker waiting in the barn for Shane to release her. A thought crossed his mind. He frowned, glancing over at Carol, "Ya know, she probably wouldn't have," Daryl agreed with her, "She don't know nothin' 'bout protectin' herself or fightin' walkers. Ya don't neither."

"No, not really," she admitted.

"I could teach ya. Sophia too," Daryl offered, immediately seeing the sense in teaching her and Sophia to help themselves. He wouldn't always be around to protect them and the more they knew early on, the better their chances would be.

"You'd do that?" Carol asked, shocked by his offer.

"We can start whenever ya like," he shrugged, nodding to her as he turned away.

He strolled on back towards camp, wondering about what he would show them if they agreed to let him teach them. A monument of rocks caught his eye. Otis's grave. He walked over to it, and picked up a rock from the ground. Though there was not a body underneath the stones, it was a symbolic thing, something to offer closure and show that they still held onto their humanity. He placed the rock with the others.

"I'm sorry. I'll try and do better next time," he mumbled before he walked away.

**TBC**


	12. Defence

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. This chapter and the next one will be filler chapters, but I actually really like how this one turned out.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 11: Defence**

_Said I'm okay but I know how to lie You were all that I had You were delicate and hard to find_

_Got lost in the back of my mind And I can never get back No, I never got back_

_Now I gotta go it alone But I will never give up No, I'll never give up_

_What am I fighting for? There must me something more For all these words I sing Do you feel anything?_ **…Yellowcard - Fighting**

* * *

The next day, Daryl found himself in the middle of Hershel's field, staring at most of the group. He ignored the sweat that was dripping down his back and silently cursed his rotten luck.

It had started out normal enough. He had not had any vivid dreams the night before, something which he was both happy and disappointed about. He usually didn't get much rest when he had those dreams of the white dream world and they never seemed to bode well, but his last dream was probably the best dream that he had ever had in his life. When he approached for breakfast, he found the group relaxing as they ate. No one was stressed about searching for Sophia this time around. He thought back to the original timeline and realized that this would have been the day when he would have been thrown off of a horse, fallen twice down a cliff, pierced by an arrow, and then shot in the head. Fuck, was he ever thankful that he would not be doing that again. He would be giving the forest wide berth and he would definitely not be giving Andrea a reason to shoot him in the head. As he ate, Sophia and Carol seated themselves beside him.

"I've thought about your offer," Carol said to him over Sophia's head, "I think it's a good idea."

"Great," Daryl shrugged, though inside, he was elated at the thought that she wanted to learn how to fight and that she wanted him as her teacher, "When?"

"Maybe soon?" Carol wondered, glancing down at Sophia, who had her eyes glued to her plate and was refusing eye contact with anybody. Daryl nodded.

"I'm free after breakfast," he said, "We'll go out into the field so we have more space."

"More space for what?" Amy asked from her folding chair. Daryl glanced over at her. The girl hardly left that chair and if she did, she would either have Dale or Andrea following her around, or she would get an order to get her butt back on the red fabric. He thought that she was probably going nuts being confined to the chair. He knew that he would be.

"Daryl offered to show me and Sophia how to fight walkers," Carol explained.

"Really?" Andrea asked as she handed her sister a plate. Daryl shrugged.

"Ain't no good to be relyin' on someone else to protect ya all the time," he said.

"That's a good idea," Rick piped up, glancing towards Sophia, "I think a lot of us would have trouble holding our own against walkers."

Daryl knew that Rick wasn't talking about himself, but some of the weaker members of the group. In the other timeline, Rick had told him once that he had felt that if they had trained their people to fight sooner, they might have not lost so many.

"What do you know about fightin' walkers?" Shane demanded, raising an eyebrow. Daryl frowned, knowing that Shane had little use for hand-to-hand walker killing; the ex-cop preferred guns.

"Been in more fights and killed more walkers than I could count," Daryl muttered, "Guns are okay, but they make too much noise and them damn bullets ain't gonna last forever."

"That is true," Rick agreed, "We do have to start relying on our knives more."

Daryl saw Shane roll his eyes, but he had to ignore it in lieu of Andrea's question, "So is anyone invited to this little self-defence class or is the offer exclusive to Carol and Sophia?"

"Ya want to learn?" Daryl asked, his brow crinkling slightly.

"Yeah," Andrea said as if she thought he had lost his mind, "You saw what happened in the RV. Those walkers came in and short of me screaming and killing one with a screwdriver, I couldn't do much to help Amy and Jacqui."

"Well, I guess if ya wanna learn, I'll show ya a couple things," Daryl shrugged.

"Could you show me too, Honey?" Jacqui asked. Daryl was learning that she called most everyone 'Honey', 'Hon', 'Sweetie', or some other girlie term of endearment, but is was still strange to think of someone other than Carol saying those things to him.

"Wouldn't mind a refresher," T-Dog said.

"I wouldn't mind, either," Glenn shrugged.

"Lori could probably use a little self-defence too," Rick said, "I'll ask her when I head up to the house. She's with Carl right now."

Daryl frowned. Short of Rick, Shane, Dale, and Amy, he had most of the damn group volunteering for his walker killing lesson. He glanced to Amy and Dale.

"How 'bout it, Ol' Man? Kid?" he asked.

"I'll stay with Amy and take watch," Dale said, shrugging. Daryl cocked an eyebrow.

"Ya know if I'm showin' every damn person in this camp how to fight, I might as well show the two of ya," he told them.

"I can't…" Amy whispered, glancing to her left and at the stump where her arm used to be.

"Fuck that," Daryl scowled, "Just 'cause ya lost ya arm don't mean ya can't do shit."

"She's hurt," Andrea spoke up, jumping to aid her sister.

"She looks fine to me," Daryl replied, "She lost her arm not her legs. She can walk and move around."

"I can't fight with one arm," Amy said, reaching for the bandaged stump unconsciously. He could plainly see how the group became uncomfortable with the topic and how Amy was self-conscious of her missing limb.

"Knew a guy who lost his right hand," Daryl announced, thinking of Merle, "Toughest son-of-a-bitch I ever knew. Could kick anyone's ass just as good as he coulda with both hands."

"That's different," Andrea said, "There are walkers-"

"Pfft. He took a knife, duct taped a it to his stump, and then he drove it into every geek he came across. Ain't no reason ya couldn't do the same, Kid," Daryl said to Amy, "Just 'cause ya lost ya arm don't mean ya can't do shit no more. Ya just have to figure how to do it a little different is all."

Amy frowned for a moment and then nodded, "I'll try."

"Is that a good idea?" Andrea asked, chewing her lip nervously.

"Kid'll be fine," Daryl grumbled, getting up from his spot to take his dish to the wash basin, "She ain't all healed up yet, but there's stuff she could learn."

"You know, Daryl," Rick said, getting to his feet, "It's awful good of you to do this."

"It's nothin'," Daryl said, feeling the need to get out of there before his face turned as red as a tomato, "Be in the field in half an hour."

So that was how Daryl ended up in the field, standing in front of most of the group. Rick had opted out to talk to Hershel and keep an eye on Carl. Shane was in the lawn chair on top of the RV, sulking as a rifle sat across his lap. Everyone else was assembled before Daryl, waiting patiently as he figured out what to say. He sought out Carol's face in the crowd and imagined what she would say and do to calm him. She would tell him that she believed in him and then she would trace patterns on his wrist with her finger in slow, soothing motions. Just the thought of it calmed him.

"Okay, so we're here to learn how to take out walkers," he started, "Think everyone knows that ya gotta get 'em in the brain, but ya gotta be smart 'bout it."

"How so?" Glenn asked.

"Problem is the skulls. Ya gotta have enough strength to get a weapon through 'em the first time. If ya don't, ya could get bit," Daryl explained.

"So how do we do that?" Jacqui asked, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Eyes," Glenn said, "I've seen you aim for their eyes a thousand times with your crossbow."

"Yeah. Easiest path to the brain," Daryl nodded.

"The walker on the highway, though," T-Dog spoke up, "You got him in the back of the head."

"Base of the neck," Daryl confirmed, "Jab up and then you're under the skull and up in the brain. The temple is good too. Ears will work too. Avoid the mouth though, unless ya have a long enough weapon. Don't want ya hands anywhere near the mouth. If you thrust up under the jaw, you'll also get to the brain."

"So what do we do for weapons?" Lori wondered from beside Carol, "Knives?"

"Anythin'," Daryl shrugged, "Anythin' ya can get your hands on, ya use it as a weapon. Sticks, rocks, knives, crowbars, screwdrivers…anythin'. Once saw a guy beat a walker to death usin' his empty pistol. The point is that ya use anythin' ya can get your hands on to fight."

"So we just take whatever we have and go for the eyes or any of the other spots you said?" Andrea asked.

"There's a bit more to it," Daryl said, "It's never straight forward with walkers. For now we'll make like there's just on walker and none of ya will have weapons. Don't want no one losing an eye or some shit like that. Need a volunteer."

Andrea stepped forward, not that he was surprised by this. She probably had the most confidence out of anyone he was training right now.

"Good," Daryl said, "Make a fist and pretend ya got a knife. Short Round, ya gonna be a walker and attack Andrea. She's gonna try to clock ya in the head and kill ya."

"Why me?" Glenn moaned, stepping up.

"'Cause T and I are hurt and I'm hopin' Blondie will knock a lil' sense in ya after that well thing yesterday," Daryl answered, "Go!"

With a frustrated groan that actually made Glenn sound more like the role he was playing, the Korean lumbered towards Andrea who waited for him with her fist cocked. When Glenn drew close, she lunged forward, but Glenn moved his head on instinct and ended up catching Andrea as the momentum threw her forward.

"Stop!" Daryl ordered, "Blondie's dead."

"He cheated!" Andrea protested, "Walkers don't dodge like that!"

"Some do. Probably best if Glenn's a bit quicker than the real thing. Then ya won't be so surprised," Daryl shrugged, "Who's next?"

"I'll go," T-Dog volunteered. When Daryl gave the signal, T-Dog stood, waiting like Andrea for Glenn to come to him. Walker Glenn chose a different approach, bending forward to take T-Dog down around the middle.

"What the Hell, Man?" T-Dog groaned, looking up at his friend from his seated position on the ground.

"Seen walkers do that too," Daryl shrugged, "That's two victims for Glenn. Anyone know what Andrea and T did wrong?"

The remaining group members shuffled uneasily, searching for the answer to Daryl's question. When no one replied, Daryl sought out the next victim, determined to show her that she would not be a victim ever again.

"Carol," he called to her, "C'mere."

He watched as she left her daughter's side and approached the front. She was nervous, biting on her lower lip as the group watched her approach the redneck. He beckoned her to him and then he whispered in her ear, making sure Glenn couldn't hear.

"Sorry for singlin' ya out, but I really wanna see ya take down his ass," he whispered, "When I say 'go', I want ya to run at him, put ya left arm under his jaw, and then use ya right fist to hit him in the eye."

"What if I hurt him?" Carol whispered back, still looking uneasy.

"Kid's got a hard head. He'll be fine," Daryl shrugged, offering her a genuine smile, "You'll do great. I know ya can do it," he assured her, placing a hand on her back. Then he stepped away.

"Woot! Yeah, Carol! Put him on his ass!" T-Dog called good-naturedly, starting the others as they cheered for Carol. Daryl noticed a blush creep up her neck as she waited.

"Go!" he shouted. Glenn took a lumbering couple of steps forward, really hamming it up now, but the pizza boy didn't anticipate Carol closing the gap, jabbing her left arm under his jaw like Daryl had told her to do. The look of surprise on Glenn's face as Carol lightly hit him in the eye with her fist had Daryl grinning. She hadn't even hit him hard, but Glenn made a theatrical choking sound and fell back on the grass, closed his eyes, and stuck his tongue out. The rest of the group was laughing and clapping as Carol looked over at Daryl, disbelief on her face. Daryl's grin, if possible, widened at her small, sheepish smile.

"That's how it's done," Daryl said, watching as Glenn stood up and gave Carol a hug, "What was different about that time?" he asked the group members once they had finished their cheering.

"You told her to run at him," Amy observed.

"Yep," Daryl nodded, "It's a bit risky, but it gives you the chance to catch 'em off guard instead of the other way around. By getting an arm under the jaw, ya keep 'em from snappin' at ya while ya take 'em out. Pair up and take turns bein' the walker."

The group paired off. Glenn and T-Dog paired off, T-Dog intent on a little payback. Andrea and Amy were together, but Daryl knew that Andrea was going to go easy on her sister. Dale and Jacqui were together, leaving Lori, Carol, and Sophia to make a group of three. Daryl stepped in.

"Amy, you and Lori switch," he said, "Got somethin' to show ya, Kid."

Andrea looked like she wanted to protest, but Daryl simply lead Amy, Carol, and Sophia away from the group. He was going to show Amy and Sophia something different since the two of them would have the most difficulty in a hand-to-hand situation.

"Alright, so the others can all do that last move pretty easy, but Amy and Soph need to know some different stuff," he explained, "I'll be the walker and Amy's gonna trip me-"

"Daryl, your stitches," Carol reminded him. He huffed and sat back on the grass.

"Fine. I'll just explain it then," he grumbled. He thought about making Carol play the walker, but the thought of her as one of those drooling freaks, even in play, was too much for him to bear. He looked at both younger girls, "Sophia's too short yet to take on the adult walkers like the others and Amy is still healing up. For Amy, the best thing would be to go for the ear or temple area. Just run up, twist to the side so your body's angled away from the walker, and jab your right fist into the side of the head. Once you're healed a bit more, we can figure a way to put some kind of weapon on your left arm and ya can try different stuff."

"And you think I can do this?" Amy asked doubtfully.

"Ain't hard," Daryl shrugged, "Soph's gonna be workin' harder than you."

"I am?" Sophia asked quietly.

"Yep," Daryl nodded, "See ya gotta get the walker down to your level. You're smaller so ya can move around quicker without 'em noticin'. Ya trip 'em up. Best I can figure is that if ya go for the legs, they'll fall forward. Then ya can move around and get 'em in the head."

"That sounds dangerous," Carol said, frowning.

"We'll see how it works with Glenn and then we can tweak it if we need to," Daryl replied, "Soph can do it, though, can't ya, Rabbit?"

Sophia smiled at the nickname and nodded. Daryl then stood up and called the others back. From what he had seen, they had the hang of the move and were now goofing off, coming up with their own ways to fight, which was fine by him as long as they were trying.

"'Kay, Andrea, ya come over here and be a walker for Amy. Hold back and I'll be glad to show her how to kick your ass one-handed," Daryl threatened, chuckling a little. Andrea flipped him off and got into position across from her sister. Amy grinned slightly as she ran towards Andrea, who had been expecting the 'arm-under-the-jaw' move. The older sister was surprised when Amy side-stepped her. Amy hit Andrea in the side of the ear with her fist and jogged away easily. It was a quick, easy 'kill' that left Amy out of harm's way.

"I did it!" Amy exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. Amy hadn't had a look like that on her face since before she lost her arm. The rest of the group chuckled and Dale and Andrea were smiling in awe of Amy's triumph.

"Soph's turn," Daryl announced, "Ya want Glenn as your walker or ya want someone else?" he asked the girl, who tugged at his shirt to get him to her level.

"Glenn," she whipered.

"Alright, Glenn, come on up," Daryl called. The Korean let out a long groan as he staggered forward, slipping back into character. Daryl and Carol gave Sophia encouraging nods when the girl looked back at them. Then she ran forward, dropped to her hands and knees just in front of Glenn's legs. Glenn fell forward onto the grass.

"Back of the head, Kid," Daryl directed. Sophia got up and hit Glenn in the back of the head, causing the dark-haired man to bury his face in the grass. Sophia smiled as the rest of the group clapped and cheered for her. She went running back to her mother, who greeted her with opened arms.

"Good job, Baby!" Carol cheered.

"Hell of a job," Daryl agreed, "Most walkers have trouble getting low to the ground. Next time, though, tuck ya head in. Don't want another concussion."

After that, Daryl showed them all a couple different ways to hit the 'sweet spots' from different angles. He was sure that by the time they broke for lunch, Glenn was covered in bruises. Daryl figured it was payback for future sleepless nights in the prison when Glenn and Maggie were feeling amorous. The lunch consisted of a mystery can of food and a few pieces of fruit brought over by Beth and Maggie. Daryl vowed that he would try his hand at hunting tomorrow. This meal reminded him too much of the meals eaten on the road. Glenn was regaling Maggie with tales of his walker acting and Daryl couldn't help but chuckle as Maggie finally laughed. Something had shifted in that dynamic since their run yesterday and Daryl had a good idea about what had changed between the Korean and the farmer's daughter. About halfway through lunch, Rick came striding over from the farmhouse, frowning a little as he did so. Daryl knew that look well and knew that there was some conflict going over in the other man's head. Falling back into his role as Rick's second, he got up from his chair and met the former cop halfway.

"Ya look like ya just lost ya favourite toy," Daryl observed.

"It's nothing," Rick shrugged, "Everything go okay with the training? Carl and I were watching from the window. He said it looked like a blast."

"They all did pretty good," Daryl told him, "Glenn's gonna be bruised up for a bit, but other than that they're all fine."

"That's good," Rick said, "Was talking with Shane and he said that we oughta do some gun training out in the woods tomorrow."

"Good idea. Ya sure everythin's alright?" Daryl asked again. Rick sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Think ya can keep a secret?" he asked, "None of the rest can know, but maybe if you did…well, the others respect you…"

"Spit it out," Daryl urged, wondering why the man was so on edge.

"We might not be able to stay here on the farm," Rick admitted, "Hershel says he'll consider letting us stay if we follow his rules, but right now he's set to send us packing once he deems Carl okay enough to travel."

This was hardly new to Daryl. He remembered Hershel's initial misgivings about the group and why. His eyes travelled to the old barn where he knew that over a dozen walkers were milling about, waiting to be freed. The last time, the group had been allowed to stay due to the search for Sophia, and then it was due to Lori's pregnancy. He supposed that Lil' Asskicker would be announced to the world shortly, but until then, there was no reason for Hershel to allow them to stay and that, Daryl realized, was a problem.

"This place is safe," Daryl muttered, "We gotta figure a way to stay."

"I know," Rick sighed, walking towards the group again, "You in for gun training tomorrow?"

"I know my way 'round a gun," Daryl said, "Thought I'd go huntin'. Bring us back somethin' good."

"Fine by me," Rick shrugged. When Rick announced that he and Shane were planning on setting up a shooting range, nearly everyone opted to take part. After dinner, Sophia went with Lori to check on Carl and Carol sat across from Daryl at the picnic table, watching as he tested the sharpness and balance of his remaining arrows. He would have to start making more at some point.

"You're not shooting?" Carol asked.

"I'm good 'round a gun," Daryl told her, "Goin' huntin' instead."

"I hope that you're careful. You're still healing from the last time you were out there," she reminded him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Feelin' fine," he said. She nodded her head, but bit her lip, a sure sign that something was on her mind. Daryl sighed, "What's on ya mind, woman?"

"Am I that obvious?" Carol wondered, laughing a little, "I was just wondering…with this gun training, I don't know how I feel about Sophia handling a weapon …do you think it's a good idea for her to shoot? She asked me, but I didn't know…"

"What are ya askin' me for?" Daryl asked, frowning. This time she shrugged.

"I guess you just seem to know the most about this stuff…killing walkers. I guess Shane was a shooting instructor, but I don't really know about him…" Carol admitted.

"Wouldn't hurt her to learn," Daryl told her, "It's up to ya if ya want her to carry or not. She should be fine if she had to go hand-to-hand with a walker, but it would be better if she didn't have to at all."

"Makes sense. Thanks," she said to him, but she didn't get up. She was chewing her lip again.

"What now?" he asked.

"Are you a mind reader or something?" she questioned, shaking her head, "I guess I just wanted to thank you for today. I learned a lot and I know Sophia did too. It was a good thing you did that for the group."

"Gotta know how to protect yourself. Ain't no big deal," Daryl said, "'Sides could always show ya'll more. That was really just the tip of the iceburg."

"That'd be great," Carol said appreciatively, "and thanks for not letting Glenn attack me earlier."

"Ya did it," Daryl corrected her, "I just told ya how. Ya were the one that put the kid on his ass."

"You really have a lot of faith in me, you know that?" she replied, exasperated. He smiled at her, setting the arrow to the side.

"Just returnin' the favour," he said, "I ain't that great of a guy, but ya seem to think I'm worth somethin' so I might as well try to be better."

"You are worth something," she corrected him, "And I'm glad you're trying to be better, but I don't think you need to for me."

"Say what?" he asked, confusion overtaking his features. She smiled at him, that soft smile that made him feel like he owned the world.

"I like you just the way you are," Carol told him, getting up to her feet, but he saw the blush threatening to colour her cheeks as she did so, "I think I ought to go help with dinner. We're cooking for Hershel's family tonight to say thanks."

Then she left him sitting there completely dumbfounded. She liked him? What the hell did that even mean? Did she like him as a friend? But then there was that blush, so maybe she…but it was wrong…she wasn't supposed to have feelings for him now. She probably just said it as a friend, thankful for the things that he was doing for her and his daughter. They were just friends, he tried to convince himself, but that traitorous little voice in the back of his head was questioning it all, the blush, the smile, the way she sought him out…he shook his head. He suddenly felt like he was in high school again and was once again trying to figure out girls.

Then he glanced up and noticed Amy was smirking at him from her chair. The look on her face reminded him every bit of the popular broads in his old high school when they latched onto some tidbit of gossip.

"What ya smirking at, Smiley?" Daryl grumbled, grabbing his arrows and shouldering his bow.

"Nothing, nothing, not a thing," Amy lied, for the corners of her lips were twitched in a teasing smile, "So Carol likes you, huh?"

"As a friend," he snapped back, "Christ, quit watchin' me. Ya need a hobby. Go see if Dale has any picture books in that RV of his."

Then he retreated, his thoughts on the blue-eyed woman who couldn't possibly like him in the way that he loved her.

**TBC**

**Ooh, does she have feelings for him? Dun dun dun. **

**I actually enjoyed this chapter. Now that Amy's alive, I kind of want her and Daryl to have a brother/sister vibe and I want her to be able to fight just as much as I want Carol and Sophia to be able to fight. They've just survived more than anyone. Also, I kind of like beating up on Glenn a little, haha.**

**Next chapter: Daryl gets pestered about some secrets and makes a suggestion for staying on the farm.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	13. In Sight

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the amazing support for this story. This is the other filler chapter and I'm not as happy with it as the last one, but I've rewritten it three times and I'm finally somewhat satisfied. This offers a bit of character development and answers the question of how they are going to stay on the farm.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 12: In Sight**

_Sometimes I wonder how I'd ever make it through  
Through this world without having you  
I just wouldn't have a clue_

_Baby, there's nothing in this world that could ever do  
What a touch of your hand can do  
It's like nothing that I ever knew_

_When I see you smile  
I can face the world, oh oh  
You know I can do anything  
When I see you smile  
I see a ray of light, oh oh  
I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Baby, when I see you smile at me, oh yeah  
_**…Bad English – When I See You Smile**

* * *

Daryl supposed that it was a reflex, that after all this time his eyes followed Carol's form on their own accord. He watched as she helped prepare breakfast the following morning, smiling at something Jacqui said from across the table. Her smile was genuine, as always. In all of the time he had known her, he didn't think that she had ever faked a smile, at least not with him. She had even smiled at him at the end when she told him that she loved him, trying to reassure him that somehow, he would still be alright even as she was ripped from his life. Even at the end of her life, Carol still smiled, still tried to help someone else feel better. She always thought about everyone else and her own wellbeing took a backseat. It really wasn't fair that she sacrificed so much for others, often for people who took her for granted. He remembered the nights on the road after Hershel's farm fell. Those days had been hard on all of them, but Carol…hell, there was a point when she had been scary skinny.

_It had been four or five months since they had left the farm. All ten of the rag-tag survivors had been changed physically by their harsh lifestyle on the road. They were thinner, their hair was longer, and their clothes were torn and ill-fitting. Daryl supposed that he hadn't noticed how thin she had gotten because of all the clothes she wore. It was on a particularly cold night when the group had been forced to camp outside that he realized how bad it really was._

_It was logical, camping outside, that they would use body heat to keep warm. There was no way in hell that he was going to cozy up to one of the guys and of the remaining group members, there was only one person he would even consider sharing his personal space with. He caught her before she went over to Lori, who was sucking up even more of the group's attention than usual on account of her ever-growing belly._

_"Might as well keep warm," he muttered, sitting down beside her and covering them both with a blanket._

_"Alright," Carol agreed, a little surprised. He couldn't blame her for the surprise. He avoided most forms of touch unless she was holding onto him while they rode on his motorcycle. She was freezing, that much was obvious as she moved unconsciously nearer to his warmth. Once her icy skin warmed a bit, he noticed how bony her body was as she sat flush against him. He looked at her then, really looked at her, and found that the roundness had gone from her face. Her features were more pointed. He could feel her shoulder bone against his and how her hipbone dug into his side._

_He resolved to keep a closer eye on her after that night. It wasn't healthy to be that skinny, especially in their world. It hadn't taken him long to zero in on the problem, noticing it the following morning. She made the food, throwing together whatever they could find. She would take a couple tastes of whatever she was making and then she would declare the food to be ready. The group would descend like vultures while she stood back and watched. If there was any left, she would scrape it out of the pot and then she would offer it to Lori fucking Grimes, who had already had her helping and half of Rick's. By the end of breakfast, he was seething. She had declared herself to be a burden and was willing to shrug off nourishment for the other so-called "important" members of the group, like himself, Rick, Lori, and Carl._

_He shot an arrow at a tree in frustration, catching the attention of the rest of the group. He stomped over to tree and retrieved his arrow and the unfortunate squirrel that had been impaled. Then he proceeded to clean his kill. The others went about their business, finding nothing unusual in the surly hunter catching and skinning a squirrel. He cooked it up and he was well aware of the looks he was receiving at the smell of the cooking meat. When it had finished, he put it on a plate and then walked towards Carol, who was sitting near the tent with Lori. He was aware of all eyes on him, but he didn't care. He held the plate to Carol._

_"I'm fine, Daryl," she refused, "You eat it-"_

_"Eat the goddamn food or I'm gonna tie ya down and force feed ya," he threatened. She stared at him, a little defiant, but he was having none of it. He stared her down, letting her choose whichever of the two options he gave her._

_"She doesn't want-"_

_"Don't give a damn what she wants," Daryl growled, cutting Lori off, "She didn't eat breakfast. She's eatin' the damn squirrel whether she likes it or not."_

_"Why didn't you say anything?" Glenn asked, "We could've saved some."_

_Carol said nothing. She simply bowed her head and took the plate. It occurred to him later that it was a real dick move to draw the group's attention to her, but it got her to eat and for that, he was satisfied. From that point on, he made sure that she ate something at every meal. At times when he knew she wasn't looking, he would scoop some of his own portion into her dish. He would not let her waste away because she was too goddamn good to think of her own needs. _

Daryl watched her now, filling plates. Even if he did not think it was fair for her to do it, he knew that she would willingly cook and clean for the group without batting an eyelash. He figured that she was naturally a neat person, but he was sure that her asshole husband had drilled it into her head that she was his willing slave or else. He wanted nothing more than to get up, throw her over his shoulder, and whisk her away from camp. He wanted to show her that she deserved to take time to herself and that she wasn't a servant. He wanted to tell her how he appreciated everything she did and everything that she had yet to do. She deserved at least that.

"You're staring," Amy hissed in his ear, jolting him out of his thoughts. He glared over at the young woman sitting in her red folding chair.

"Ain't lookin' at anybody," Daryl denied.

"Pfft. Screw that. You were staring right at her," Amy observed. Daryl gritted his teeth and glanced around at the others, but everyone was too busy to pay mind to Amy's observations. Shane and Rick were cleaning the guns for shooting practice later. Andrea was watching the process, trying to memorize it after that disastrous moment in the RV on the highway. Dale was on top of the RV keeping watch, while Sophia curled up in a chair beside the RV, reading a book. T-Dog was frying up some eggs that had been given to the group by Hershel's daughters and Carol and Jacqui were laughing as they opened a couple cans of beans. Lori was inside the house with Carl, getting the boy ready for his first day outside since the shooting.

"Told ya to get a hobby, Kid," Daryl growled under his breath.

"You were staring," Amy said again, nodding over to Carol, who was smiling and talking animatedly with Jacqui. When she noticed them looking at her, she smiled at the pair of them. Amy waved back, hissing to Daryl, "You know, she has a very pretty smile."

Daryl grunted noncommittally. Since Amy had noticed the exchange between Daryl and Carol the day before, she had taken to watching them and goading him for a reaction to Carol's declaration that she liked him.

"And nice eyes," Amy continued, "She's a very warm person…and she likes you."

"Would ya knock it off?" Daryl groaned, not because Amy was wrong in regards to Carol's eyes and smile, but because he was frustrated with Amy's attention, "We're friends. That's it. That's all."

"You must like her too. You did say that you were trying to be better for her," Amy remembered, "So are you sweet on her?"

"Ain't sweet on nobody," Daryl growled, "Ain't ya got nothin' better to do than pester me?"

"Pfft. No," Amy griped, sounding like an insolent child, "Even though I can outsmart Andrea in defence lessons, I'm still told to sit my butt back in the chair every time I try to move."

"Ah, so Ma and Pa ain't lettin' up on ya none, huh?" Daryl asked, referring to Andrea and Dale.

"Don't change the subject!" Amy snapped, "So do you like her?"

"Ya know, I could probably vouch for ya. Get ya outta that chair," Daryl offered, ignoring her question about his feelings for Carol. He fucking loved Carol with everything in him, but he wasn't about to tell that to the blond.

"You could always take a walk with her-"

"Of course, that'd only be if ya can shut ya trap 'bout all this nonsense," Daryl conditioned. Amy stopped talking then.

"How are you getting me out of this?" she asked. Apparently her freedom was more important than Daryl and Carol's love life or lack thereof.

"After ya eat, I'll take ya out to the field and then ya can work on gettin' stronger and in better shape," Daryl suggested.

"Like physical therapy?" Amy wondered.

"Sure, if that's what ya wanna call it," Daryl shrugged, "but ya pester me out there and I duct tape your ass to that chair."

Though he said it quite calmly, the threat was still very real, something which Amy must have picked up on as she replied, "Not one word about your secret love affair. Cross my heart and hope to stick a walker in the eye," and crossed her chest. He rolled his eyes, but let it slide.

He lived up to his word, taking Amy to the field after breakfast was finished, and she lived up to hers, keeping her teasing to herself, but she didn't stop the protests from escaping.

"I'm here to learn how to fight and you're making me run laps of the field?" she demanded, "Are you flippin' joking?"

"Flippin'?" Daryl asked, raising his eye brows at the poor replacement for the swear, "Fuck, ya talk like that and I'm liable to make ya run an extra lap."

Amy glared, "And what? While I run these laps, what the heck are you gonna be doing?"

"Well, 'heck' is better than 'flippin''," Daryl allowed, "I'm gonna be tryin' to stretch my side out. 'Member I just got stitches and all. Now get runnin'."

"What's the point?" Amy asked, huffing.

"Point is that ya oughta be able to outrun a walker and ya gotta do it without losin' ya balance. Without your arm, ya gonna be a little off kilter. Take it slow," Daryl advised, stretching his arms above his head and wincing a bit when his side pulled uncomfortably.

"Great. Another thing to worry about," Amy mumbled, "Don't tell Andrea."

"Ain't gonna. Told ya that ya can still do everythin', but ya just have to figure out how to do it a little different is all. Now get!" Daryl barked. Amy let out another long sigh, but she did start jogging to the other end of the field. Daryl watched her, a bit amused every time she grumbled as she passed him. When he glanced back at the camp, he noticed that the others were beginning to trickle out in the field towards him.

"What're you doing?" Andrea wondered, glancing at Amy as she jogged.

"Some physical therapy shit," Daryl replied, "Told ya sister that she oughta be in shape if she's plannin' on killin' shit."

"Is that a good idea?" Andrea asked, "She hasn't been back on her feet that long-"

"The kid is fine. Ya keep coddlin' her and she'll go nuts in that chair. Ya can't protect someone in this world by wrappin' 'em in bubble wrap. Gotta show 'em how to save 'emselves," Daryl explained, stretching again as he talked.

"Kinda like that what Dale was saying yesterday," T-Dog said, "'Catch a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for life.'"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the group assembled there. Dale, Shane, Lori, Rick, and Carl were absent, but Andrea, T-Dog, Glenn, Jacqui, Carol, and Sophia were looking at him expectantly, like they were waiting for something. Glenn spoke up, "Are you planning on showing us more stuff?" he asked.

"Suppose I could," Daryl said, "Could show ya how to take on multiple walkers or do some knife training. Even show ya how to fight someone off of ya," he listed, "but all that'd go better is ya built up a bit of stamina and endurance first. Otherwise ya'll be too busy huffin' and puffin' to learn anythin'."

"That makes sense," T-Dog replied, "Even yesterday was tiring."

"Imagine doin' those same moves fifty times in a row," Daryl pointed out, "You'd get right tired and then ya'll be a good snack for a geek."

"Mmmhmm," Jacqui nodded, "I couldn't think of more of an incentive to work out."

"Start with laps. I'm sure Amy could do for some company," Daryl suggested. It was a little strange to watch the group of people respond to his order, running laps across the field simply because he had told them to. He finally realized what sort of power Carol had had over the kids at the prison.

_"Jason, widen your stance a little. Good, now Hannah and Leo, I want you two to back him up," Carol directed the three children into a triangle formation. Then she addressed the whole class, ten students in total, "Now remember, if Jason, Hannah, or Leo touch your head with their cardboard knives, you need to sit down."_

_Daryl watched from the doorway to the library as Carol supervised knife training. In his opinion, there was no one better to teach the little ones about knives than her. She was deadly with her knife. He was sure that if they decided to spar, she would be able to match him in every way. She also possessed patience for the young Woodbury survivors that Daryl was unlikely to ever achieve. He watched with interest as the trio of children moved through their 'walker' classmates, keeping in a tight formation as she had no doubt instructed them. It was simply astounding to watch as the same kids who had cowered at the sight of him three months ago were now moving forward with confidence, all because of their lessons with Carol._

_"Stop!" Carol called and immediately all of the children sat down where they stood, "Leo just got 'bit' by Daniel. Who can tell me why?"_

_Hands shot up into the air. A girl named Katie was selected to answer, "He stepped away from Jason's side."_

_"That's correct," Carol praised and then she regarded the rest, "You always stay with your group. There's safety in numbers. If you leave their side, you will be more vulnerable to an attack and will be more likely to get bit than if you were with your group," she explained, "Now, Daniel, Katie, and Curtis, you get to be the next team. Everyone else will be 'walkers'. Get into position."_

_Daryl was in awe as the children obeyed Carol without a word. He had a feeling that she could give them just about any command and they would obey like minions seeking to please their master. It was difficult to believe that this strong, powerful woman had ever been a meek, submissive housewife. Daryl was certain in that moment that she was probably one of the most powerful people in the prison. _

When it comes to exercise, everybody is excited about it at the beginning of that first work-out, but after that, the allure quickly fades. This held true for the Atlanta survivors. By the end of their laps, they were all exhausted and panting for air. Sophia and Glenn were exceptions being in better shape than the rest.

"I wish I had a treadmill before the world ended," Carol panted, holding her knees to keep herself upright.

"At least you have an excuse for being out of shape," Jacqui gasped, "This is what I get for using the treadmill as a clothes hanger."

"Few more days of doin' laps and ya gonna run that field like it was nothin'," Daryl assured them.

"If we don't die first," Amy griped, gritting her teeth in an attempt to get her breathing under control.

"Ain't no one gonna die," Daryl chuckled, "Thought ya'd be happy gettin' out of that damn chair."

Amy groaned in response.

"C'mon. We oughta head back if ya'll gonna go shootin' before lunch," Daryl suggested. He was greeted by moans and groans from the group as they all staggered back to camp. Sophia headed straight to Carl, who had been helped to the camp by his mother early on, chattering to him about their defence lesson, while Carol and Jacqui set to work making sure everyone's water bottles were filled. Amy and Andrea set off to the RV, greeting Dale who was still up on watch, while T-Dog and Glenn sat around the fire. Daryl noticed that Glenn was a little cagey now that the others weren't so focused on endurance training, jumping whenever someone looked at him or spoke to him. He frowned, thinking back on the original timeline and realized that at this point, Glenn was keeping two very big secrets. Daryl watched as Glenn moved from the rest of the group to go peer at the barn. Maggie approached him with fruit and gave him shit for being obvious. Daryl smirked and focused on the rest. There was time for the barn later.

Rick and Shane were sorting out things for gun training when Patricia and Beth came up asking to join. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that. Then Daryl's eyes landed on Sophia, who was walking back to the table, leaving Carl on his own as he sharpened a stick and leaned against the RV. He thought it odd that she would leave her friend after itching to see him all day, but she sat back down at the table and picked up her book, 'Charlotte's Web'.

"Ain't that 'bout a spider?" Daryl asked as she sat down.

"Yeah," she nodded, "It's my favourite. I like all of the animals in it," she said.

"Animals, huh?" Daryl frowned, "What's up with Carl? He doin' good?"

"He's okay," Sophia said hesitantly, glancing back to the RV where the young Grimes was talking to Shane. Daryl watched with interest as Shane held out his hand and Carl pulled a small pistol from his belt. Shane took it and marched Carl to his parents.

"Carl had a gun on him," the ex-cop announced to his friends. Carl had the decency to look ashamed of himself as his parents rounded on him, his mother scolding him for being so irresponsible. Then the Grimes parents began discussing the issue of Carl acquiring a gun with permission.

"I don't want my kid walking around with a gun!" Lori spat.

"How can you defend that? You can't let him go off without protection!" Rick pointed out rationally.

"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here," Lori stated naively. Daryl shook his head, knowing just how deluded Lori was, and Rick hesitated, unwilling to admit to his wife that Hershel expected them to leave. She continued, "Look, everything your saying makes perfect sense, but it feels wrong. I didn't feel good about him following you out in the woods and I wish I had said something. I wish I had gone with my gut."

"He's growin' up, thank God. We got to start treating him more like an adult-"

"Then he needs to act like one. He's not mature enough to handle a gun," Lori snapped, glaring again at her son.

"I'm not gonna play with it, Mom," Carl spoke up, "It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I want to help keep our camp safe and I want to be able to protect me and Sophia. I can't do that without a gun."

"Shane is the best instructor I know. I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl and he's going to be out there showing Sophia how to shoot," Rick said.

"Sophia's going to learn. I should too," Carl said, glancing over at Sophia and Daryl. Finally, Lori caved, taking her son's face in her hands.

"If we hear from anyone in this camp that you are not living up to our expectations-"

"He won't let you down," Rick stated firmly, eyeing his son with a look that told the boy that there would not be trouble. Daryl glanced at the girl sitting across the table from him.

"Rabbit, did ya know Carl had the gun?" he whispered to her. She lowered her eyes.

"Ya don't have one too, do ya?" Daryl asked. She shook her head, still avoiding eye contact.

"Look at me, Sophia," he ordered firmly. He waited until her eyes raised to his and then he continued, "Ya ever see someone doin' somethin' they ain't supposed to, ya gotta tell me or ya momma."

"He asked me not to tell," she whispered.

"Don't care. Sometimes ya gotta tell secrets if they could hurt someone," Daryl told her, "Now go get ready."

He watched her go help Carol and Jacqui and then he waited until the rest of the group piled into cars and trucks. Dale and Glenn stayed behind and had gone off behind the RV to talk, leaving Daryl alone. He prepped for his hunt, ensuring that he had his crossbow, arrows, knives, and a gun. He was about to trek out to the woods when he noticed Hershel walking towards his fence with fencing tools. A thought had crossed his mind while working with the group this morning and he couldn't help but wonder if it was enough to allow them to stay on the farm. He walked towards the old man, figuring that his hunt could wait if it meant an opportunity to stay in safety for a while.

"I hear that you're going out hunting," Hershel said as Daryl approached.

"I got somethin' to ask ya," Daryl announced. The old man simply glanced at him, a gesture for him to continue, so Daryl did, "Rick told me that ya don't want us here for long. I wanna know how long we are here exactly."

"When that boy is fit to travel, so I estimate another day or so," Hershel said soberly.

"Is there any way we can extend that?" Daryl wondered. Hershel knitted his eyebrows together and set down his fencing supplies.

"Son, I hear that you're headed to Fort Benning. I suggest that's what you focus on."

"How?" Daryl asked, "The last time we were on the road, a little girl was nearly mauled to death by walkers and a little boy nearly died from bein' shot. We go out there, and this group is gonna die."

"That's quite dramatic," Hershel dismissed.

"It ain't," Daryl said, shaking his head, "Look, I get why ya want us gone. That barn-"

"What do you know about my barn?" Hershel demanded, now looking firm.

"Know it's full of walkers. Walked by it and heard 'em," Daryl lied, "Ya family right?"

"They are," Hershel said, staring directly into Daryl's eyes now.

"I get what it means to lose family to this 'end of the world' thing," Daryl told him, his stomach clenching uncomfortably as he thought of Merle, T-Dog, Sophia, Carol, Lori, Andrea, Dale, Amy, and Jim, "It's ten times worse 'cause if ya loved ones don't die right, then they come back as the walkin' dead. Thing is though that they're dead, even if they're still walkin' 'round."

"How do you know that?" Hershel challenged.

"Don't matter," Daryl said, and really it didn't. Nothing Daryl could say would convince the old farmer of the status of the dead; Hershel would see enough of that tomorrow. Instead, he continued, "All that matters is the living. Your daughters and your family. Us here. That's why I want to make ya a deal."

"A deal?" Hershel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know ya want us gone, but if we leave now, we ain't gonna make it and these people are my family and I can't stand the thought of losin' 'em. Give me a couple weeks to train 'em and teach 'em how to defend 'emselves and then we'll go. 'Til then, we'll help ya with whatever ya need," Daryl said.

"You want me to turn my farm into an armed camp?" Hershel demanded.

"Not an armed camp," Daryl told him, shaking his head, "I just want to show 'em how to defend 'emselves proper so that when we leave here, they can live and they can stay living. If ya want, I can even show your daughters some things, but I need time."

He could see that Hershel was mulling this over. Daryl knew that he had played his cards right by bringing Maggie and Beth into this. The old man glanced over at him, "How much time?"

"Three weeks?" Daryl asked, "It'd be enough time to really give 'em a shot."

In truth, Daryl had calculated just how much time that they had spent at the farm the first time around. In total, they had spent sixteen days on the farm before it got overrun. Three weeks would be ample time to ensure that they stayed on the farm and that Hershel and his family would flee with them.

"Three weeks," Hershel repeated, mulling it over, "Does Rick know you're here talking to me?"

"No," Daryl admitted, "He don't. Just thought of it."

"I want to talk to him before I say 'yes' to anything," Hershel stipulated.

"That's fine," Daryl shrugged, "Just wanted to get it out there. Goin' huntin'. If ya want meat or somethin' later just let us know."

Then he took off for the woods and he was happy to find himself back in his natural element, just hunting up food. It was almost blissful being back there. Nothing of note happened there. He managed to get a string of six squirrels and a woodchuck. It would hardly be enough meat for everyone, but it was something. It was nearly dinner time when he finally headed back to the farm and everyone had returned from shooting practice.

Sophia and Carl were sitting at the table playing checkers. Jacqui and Carol were laughing as they put a stew together. Dale was up on the RV with Glenn, who looked anxious. T-Dog had gotten conned into helping Andrea and Amy fold clothes. Shane was seated near Carl, cleaning the guns. Daryl shrugged and placed his kill on the skinning table and set to work. He noticed Sophia pause in her game to look over at him. Her eyes fell when she realized what he was doing. He shifted a little so that he was blocking her sight. He hated the way her face fell when she saw him skinning the poor woodland creatures.

"Excuse me, everyone! I have some news from Hershel," Rick announced, returning to camp with a tearful Lori. Everyone stopped what they were doing to glance at their unofficial leader. Rick took a breath.

"Hershel and I have talked it out and he said that he would be willing to put us up for another three weeks so long as we follow his rules. During this time, we will train everybody how to shoot and how to defend themselves," Rick announced. Daryl couldn't help the smile forming on his lips. Hershel had agreed to his deal.

"Another three weeks?" Glenn wondered, frowning, "but…I thought…" the young man trailed off, no doubt wondering where this left him and Maggie. Maybe he had been one of those under the impression that they would be staying at the farm indefinitely.

"What about Fort Benning?" Shane demanded, frowning as he approached his friend.

"It will be there when we're ready for it," Rick said, "but if we go out there unprepared and with no training, we'll never make it. Some of us almost died out on the road already and we don't want that happening again."

"So the solution is to stay here and then pack up?" Shane asked, "Rick, that's wasting time. We'd be safer in Fort Benning than here on this farm where a herd of walkers could stroll in and pick us off one by one."

"They wouldn't be able to pick us off if we all knew how to fight," Daryl spoke up. Shane glared at him, but turned back to Rick.

"We oughta just cut our losses here and go," Shane stated.

"And what if we lose people on the way?" Rick hissed. Shane shrugged, but the expression on his face said that he didn't care. Daryl remembered Shane's argument before that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. He had a feeling that Shane would sacrifice any number of people for Lori Grimes.

"And who's gonna train up these people?" Shane asked instead, "Dixon?" he scoffed.

"Well, it was Daryl that presented the idea to Hershel," Rick revealed, "If not for him, Hershel would likely have us leaving in the next couple of days."

Daryl suddenly felt all eyes on him. He was sure that the discomfort showed on his face, for Shane said, "You want him to teach self-defence? Short of a couple bar brawls what experience does he really have?"

"He's showed us a lot," Andrea said, "He's taught us all as much as you have, Shane."

"And you think rollin' 'round in the grass is going to help you against walkers?" Shane asked doubtfully, "We can't waste time-"

"It's not a waste," Amy spoke up, "and really, who cares about time, anyway? It's not like we have anywhere to be."

"I agree," Dale said, "We're safe here and we might as well use that safety to learn as much as we can about defending ourselves and I think all of us would feel better knowing that we'd be learning from you, Daryl."

"Uh…sure. Yeah. That's the whole point of the thing, ain't it?" Daryl shrugged like it was no big thing. Shane was still doubtful.

"And you think you can train 'em up?" he demanded.

"I know Daryl can," a little voice said softly. All eyes were on Sophia, who blushed and looked a little uncomfortable, but did not shrink back when the rest of the group looked at her.

"I agree," Carol said, coming to her daughter's rescue, "Daryl's a wonderful teacher."

Daryl was pretty sure that the blush was now permanent on his face.

"Then it's settled," Rick announced, "Daryl and I can help with some self-defence lessons and Shane will set up another round of gun training. We'll do what we can in the next three weeks and then we'll try for Fort Benning."

The rest of the group agreed, not that there was much room for argument. Daryl quickly finished skinning his kill and had retreated to the fence, leaning on the wooden planks and watching the barn. They would be staying at the farm and bask in the safety for a little while. He was a bit uneasy as he thought about the next day. Tomorrow, Glenn would announce that the farm was not near as safe as they previously thought. Daryl was dreading it, knowing that Shane would overreact as he did before, but if it meant that Carol and Sophia got to remain in relative safety for even a little while, Daryl was willing to do anything for them. In truth, he didn't want to stand before than barn again, gunning down Hershel's walker family and friends. Even though they were walkers, he still felt a little guilty for participating in the massacre, especially after he had gotten to know the old man better.

"Daryl?" Carol called to him. He turned to find her holding a plate for him.

"Ya eat?" Daryl wondered, the question tumbling from his lips on instinct, as it had often on the road from Hershel's farm.

"I was just about to sit down with Sophia," she said. He took the plate and nodded, but he was looking at her face, how she smiled and how her light eyes held his in her gaze. She was biting her lower lip and he fought within himself not to lean down and kiss her so he could take that lip into his own teeth. She was thinking hard on something and after a moment, she had apparently figured it out because she moved towards him, into his personal space. He had to remind himself to breathe. Then she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, her mouth inches from his, lingering on the smooth skin before she pulled away, a slight hint of red colouring her cheeks. He had to mentally tell his heart to start beating again.

"I was wondering when Hershel would finally kick us out," she admitted, "I'm glad you talked to him and worked out a deal. You're always looking out for us, so…thanks."

"Uh…y-yeah," Daryl stammered, his tongue tied in knots as his brain tried to process the fact that her lips were on his skin. She nodded to him, smiling again, and then she walked back towards camp. He made to follow her, all thoughts of the barn forgotten as he leaned against a tree, watching her as she sat down next to Sophia and began to eat her own meal. He didn't even notice the troublesome blond beside him until she spoke.

"So you _are_ sweet on Carol."

Daryl then glanced over at Amy, who was smiling smug like a cat that caught the canary.

"Ain't sweet on her," he hissed through clenched teeth before he turned back to watch Carol chat with Sophia, really listening to the kid, as they ate together.

He wasn't sweet on Carol. He loved her with every fibre of his being and all he wanted was to feel her lips on his skin once more. She was his breath of air in this cold, dead world and he would give anything to have her in his arms again. Maybe she was a little closer to being back there than he thought. Even though he knew that the next couple of days would be crazy, maybe happiness was in sight.

**TBC**

**Yeah, still not completely satisfied with this chapter, but after the third rewrite, I'm not hating it anymore. I wanted to explain how they still came to stay on the farm and I wanted Daryl to do something to earn him a kiss from Carol. I'm more excited about the next couple chapters, which will be up soon after I make some adjustments.**

**Next chapter: A secret about the barn has certain people spewing some hurtful words.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	14. In Front of the Barn

**Author's Note: So apparently I worried about the last chapter for nothing. Thank you all for the amazing support! I'm kind of excited about the next couple of chapters.**

**Warning: Some fighting and hints at a miscarriage.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 13: In Front of the Barn **

_But now you blame yourself because you're by yourself  
And you feel like it's not gonna to change  
You're crying on the floor 'cause you can take no more  
Looking for a way to escape_

And all this time saying you were fine  
And everyone still to blame  
Well there you are, you and your broken heart  
It's written all over your face

_Don't you know, don't you know that you're beautiful? Yeah  
Don't you know, don't you know that you're beautiful?_

_Just tell me what happened when things went wrong  
We'll try to make sense of it all _

_Please don't blame yourself 'cause you're not by yourself  
I've been right here all along  
Don't have to be alone because you've always known  
Wherever your heart is my home_  
**…Seabird – Don't You Know You're Beautiful**

* * *

Daryl did not sleep well. He was plagued with uncomfortable thoughts of the next day and memories of catching a sobbing Carol in his arms as they watched Sophia stumble forth from the barn, snarling and not at all hindered by the bite wound on her shoulder. Each thought made him think of the girl who had wormed her way into his heart. Before, in the original timeline, he hadn't known anything about the girl. His only desire then had been to find her, restore the group's hope, and reunite mother with her child.

Now it was different. Now Daryl knew more about Sophia. He knew that she loved to read and that her favourite book was 'Charlotte's Web'. He knew that she loved animals. She was always helping Beth with the chickens or horses or cows. He had taken to ensuring that she was out of sight when he brought his kills in because he couldn't bear the idea of seeing her face fall when she saw the dead animals. Also, he knew that she was a hell of an athlete. Not only could she run like the wind, but she could climb like a mountain goat and when they were training in the fields, she seemed to have endless stamina. And she was determined. If they were practicing something that would have been hard for the adults, she would go for hours trying to master it. Sure, she had a long way to go when it came to firearms, according to Rick, but he'd teach her that. Anything to see her smile and lately, she had been smiling more than ever. She had also been chattering more, a sign that she was emerging from her shell.

The thought that anything could happen to her made him feel sick to his stomach. When he had first went back in time, he had been determined to save Sophia to make Carol happy, but now…well, he wasn't so sure. The kid, like her mother, had wormed her way past Daryl's defences. The way that girl looked at him…it was like he was a god or something. She worshipped him and made him feel like he was something great. He frowned, thinking back to the prison, when he and Rick had gone hunting.

_"I wish I knew what was wrong with him," Rick was saying as he and Daryl walked through the forest. Daryl clenched his jaw. He really should have known better than to bring Rick. The ex-cop was hardly quiet as he flapped his jaw and tromped loudly over the forest floor. It looked like fresh meat was a pipe dream._

_"Ain't he gettin' to all of that teenager hormone shit?" Daryl asked gruffly._

_"Well, yeah, but…I don't know," Rick sighed, "I just…he's just so mad at the world. I thought it was because of Lori, but…damn, I just don't know anymore. And that thing with the kid in the woods…"_

_"Well, it was shit growin' up in the world before it went to hell, but now it's gotta be real bad," Daryl shrugged._

_"I just miss the way it was before," Rick admitted, "He used to look at me like I was his hero and I just want him to look at me like that again. He always made me want to be that hero for him and now…now, I just really want to want that again, you know?"_

_No, Daryl didn't know, but he nodded along just the same._

But now…now maybe Daryl did know what Rick was getting at. He wanted to be what Sophia saw him as. He wanted to be the one to take care of her, protect her, and teach her things. She had been through so much shit with her own father. She needed someone decent, someone good to-

Daryl stopped that thought. While it was true that he was a much better man than Ed Peletier, he was still rough, he still swore, and he still had a temper. Who was he to think that he would make a decent father to Sophia? And why the hell was he so caught up in thinking about being a father figure anyhow?

Needless to say that when he stumbled out of his tent the next morning, Daryl Dixon was only operating on about three hours of sleep, which he knew was not a good thing. He knew that moments after Carol scooped some eggs onto his plate, Glenn would successfully ruin their morning. All he had to do was wait. He glanced to Carol, who was coming around and passing out food.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a long day," she predicted as she carefully slid an egg from the skillet to his plate. She didn't know how right she was.

"A very long day," he agreed, starting a little when she gently gripped his wrist to keep his plate steady as she poured the beans onto his plate.

"Sorry, but you seemed a little shaky," she observed. It was true enough, but he didn't know if he was shaky on account of the lack of sleep or the fact that she was so damn close to him.

"Ain't no big deal," he shrugged, "Don't mind ya touchin' me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could call them back. They sounded weird in his own ears. Creepy too. She gave him an odd look but then she nodded, smiling a little as she went to dish T-Dog up.

"'Don't mind ya touchin' me'," a feminine voice mocked in a low whisper. He gritted his teeth as Amy plunked herself down into her chair and smirked over at him, "Could you be anymore awkward?"

He chose not to answer, stabbing at his eggs instead as he glanced around the camp. Sophia was sitting by Carl, who had just spent his first night outside of the cushy farmhouse. He still looked a bit pale, but Daryl knew that he would live. The others were milling about. Rick and Lori were sitting closer than usual as they ate. Andrea was sharpening her knife while Jacqui was already starting the dishes as T-Dog ate at the table beside her. Shane was checking the guns and Dale coming down from watch.

"Uh, guys?" Glenn's voice shook slightly with nerves as he took as he stood at the edge of the group, all of who were now staring openly at him, "So…barn's full of walkers."

Everybody froze and Daryl, still observing the others, found the identical expressions of horror to be almost comical. Shane was the first to move, taking long, purposeful strides towards the barn. Rick, Lori, Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog, Carol, Jacqui, and Daryl followed. They hung back as they watched Shane peak into the barn. There was a loud snarl from the other side of the heavy wooden door and Shane stepped back and turned to Rick.

"You cannot tell me that you're alright with this," Shane snarled. Rick was tensed as he stared at the barn.

"I'm not," Rick snapped back, "but we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"These are our lives, Man!" Shane protested.

"Lower your voice!" Lori hissed, glancing nervously at the barn door.

"We just can't sweep this under the rug," Andrea said, crossing her arms. T-Dog was nodding beside her.

"It ain't right. Not remote," the black man agreed. Shane nodded and paced.

"We either gotta go in there and make things right or we just gotta go!" Shane stipulated, "We've been talking about Fort Benning for a while-"

"We can't go!" Rick snapped. For a moment, Daryl wondered what was keeping them there now that Carl was mobile. Surely Daryl's self-defence deal hardly constituted a reason for staying, but then he thought about the timing. Little Asskicker was eight months away and was already controlling her daddy's decisions.

"Why not?" Shane demanded. Daryl wondered what Rick would say, but as the leader hesitated, his wife stepped up.

"Carl is still recovering," Lori hissed, "He needs to stay here!"

Shane glared, but Carl's wellbeing was not something he would argue against. Everyone knew that. Well played, Olive Oyl, Daryl thought. Shane's face softened slightly, but then it hardened again as he found a new topic to vent on.

"Yeah, he's recovering," Shane scoffed, "and what is it he's recovering from again?"

The group looked at him like he had lost his damn mind, but it was Rick who answered him, "Carl was shot. You know that."

"And why did he get shot, Rick?" Shane challenged, "Huh? Why was he in that forest? Why were any of us in that damn forest?"

"We were looking for Sophia and Daryl," Carol spoke up. Daryl was a bit proud of her for speaking up, but at the same time, he eyed Shane warily. The man was getting a little too riled up.

"Yeah and look at what happened!" Shane yelled, mostly at Rick, but Daryl still stepped in front of Carol all the same, "Dammit, Rick, you were all gung-ho about running off into the woods after a waste of space and a little girl who couldn't keep still and because of that, Carl got shot!" Shane raged, "And now you're fixing to make another stupid decision about this damn farm!"

Daryl saw red. He brushed aside the 'waste of space' comment; he had been called worse. The part that made him angry was the implication that Sophia was somehow the cause of all of this. He went after Shane, grabbing him by the collar before anyone could stop him.

"You take that back!" he yelled into the ex-cop's face, "Take it back!"

"It's the truth!" Shane roared back, fighting against Daryl, "Carl wouldn't have been shot if it weren't for you and that girl!"

Daryl cocked a fist, ready to rearrange the smug bastard's face, but Rick, Lori, T-Dog, and Glenn broke them apart.

"You don't know shit!" Daryl shouted, fighting against Rick and Glenn, "Why don't you-"

"We could have been halfway to Fort Benning by now if it weren't for your worthless ass-" Shane bellowed as T-Dog and Lori forced him back.

"ENOUGH!" Rick yelled, "Shane! Daryl! Stop!"

Both men stopped struggling, but they glared daggers at each other.

Then a soft sob grabbed the attention of the adults. They turned.

Amy and Dale had brought Sophia and Carl up to the barn, but now they looked as if they were sorely regretting it. Sophia stood a little ways behind Amy with tears filling her eyes as she regarded the adults.

"Sophia," Carol gasped, starting towards her daughter, but Sophia turned and ran back to the camp. Carol was right behind her, a heartbreaking expression taking over her soft features. Daryl glowered at Shane.

"Asshole!" he snarled, wanting nothing more than to go after the bastard, but his priority was Carol and Sophia. He stormed off towards the camp. Everyone was stunned for a moment, but then the argument resumed. He paid no mind to it as he sought out Carol and Sophia. As he approached, he heard Sophia crying in her tent. Carol whispered soft words in an attempt to soothe her. Each sob cut through Daryl like a knife. Sophia had been doing so well. Carol too. Then Shane had to ruin it by casting blame on a little girl.

"Carol? Sophia?" he called, peering inside the tent flap. Sophia was lying face down on the sleeping back, sobbing into a pillow as Carol gently rubbed circles on her back. The sadness on her face nearly broke Daryl in two. He had thought that if he rescued Sophia, he would never have to see that look on Carol's face ever again. He was wrong and it killed him.

"Daryl…" she said his name hesitantly.

"She okay?" Daryl asked, kneeling down. He was answered by a loud sob. He cringed.

"She's upset. I think…I think we just need some time," Carol told him, biting her lower lip and casting a worried glance down at her girl. He nodded, but really, all he wanted to do was comfort them. He reached out and placed his hand on her arm. She looked down at it and then raised her eyes to meet his.

"If ya need anythin', I'll be outside," he told her. She nodded and he noted with some satisfaction that the corners of her lips tugged in a grateful smile. Then he left their tent, settling on a log a few feet away and taking out his knife. Whittling relaxed him, nowhere as much as hunting did, but he wasn't about to stray far from Carol and Sophia when they were upset. He was their protector, after all.

But even as he thought it, he frowned. Over the last few days, he had been thinking more and more of his role here in the past. Sure, he wanted nothing more than to save Carol and Sophia, but was saving them all that he was here for? He thought about his dream the first night on the farm, the one where Carol was in the dream world instead of Merle. She had told him that she didn't need a bodyguard and that all she wanted was someone who made her happy. She had instructed him to seize happiness and not let it go. He paused in his whittling.

Before meeting Carol, happiness had been an abstract word. He had never felt it before, not really. Winning bar brawls and having drunken escapades never made him happy. Hunting relaxed him and put him at ease, yes, but it was a different feeling than the one that he got by simply being around her. Her laugh could instantly make him smile. Her touch, no matter how small, could make his day. When she came into his life, when he let her past all of his barriers, he had been happier than he could ever believe was possible.

Except now, if possible, he was happier than he was back at the prison. In the original timeline, at this point, their friendship had been just beginning, bonding over the search for her lost child. Now, he was sure that they were much closer than acquaintances becoming friends. They were friends now and maybe, just based on the kiss she had given him on the cheek yesterday, maybe they were headed to something more. Then there was the added bonus of Sophia. Even though he tried to deny it, he wanted to get to know her and he wanted to be the one to watch with her mother as she grew. Sophia and Carol were special to him and he wanted nothing more than to be around them and take care of them, and not just as a protector, though he would gladly take on that role if they needed it.

"Daryl?" Rick's voice snapped him to attention. Daryl looked up and realized that the others were starting to file back into camp. Shane was maintaining his position at the barn.

"What?" he asked.

"Listen, I wanted to talk to you about Shane-"

"Nothin' to talk about," Daryl grunted, "Don't give a damn what he said 'bout me, but I reckon he owes that little girl an apology."

Rick sighed, "I know and he will. Shane's just…he's overreacting. No one thinks that you or Sophia caused anything."

"I don't care. He said it and now that little girl is cryin' 'bout it," Daryl said, glancing over Rick's shoulder at the approaching Lori Grimes. Daryl stood up to intercept her as she moved towards Carol's tent.

"Where ya going?" he demanded, his voice taking on a bit of a protective edge. Lori paused.

"I wanted to check on Carol and Sophia," Lori told him.

"She said that they needed some time alone," Daryl informed her. He might as well have been talking to a brick wall. Lori ignored him and proceeded to Carol's tent.

"Hey!" Daryl protested, "Ya hear what I said?"

"Daryl, she's just concerned about Carol and Sophia," Rick tried to mediate, "I have to go talk to Hershel about all of this barn stuff. Just try and steer clear from Shane until he cools down."

"No argument here," Daryl muttered. Rick sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Daryl, really, I am sorry about what he said," Rick apologized, "We don't need any more tension around here."

Daryl stared at Rick for a long moment, thinking about just how much more tension his friend would be in for in the coming weeks.

"Whatever," Daryl shrugged, "Go do what ya have to do."

Then Rick was off towards the house. Daryl looked back at the tent where Lori was exiting. Her eyes were downcast and she walked quickly by him. He smirked.

"Hate to say I told ya so, but I told ya so," he told her. She just rolled her eyes and walked past him. Daryl just chuckled and then yawned. He was tired, he couldn't deny that. He glanced at Carol's tent and noted that nothing changed. Then he retreated to his own, ignoring the lingering stares of the others. He was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

**_"Your goin' soft, Boy," his brother's voice announced. _**

**_"Oh. It's you," Daryl groaned as he sat up. Merle was kneeling down next to him._**

**_"Don't sound so disappointed, Brother. Ya haven't seen me in a couple days," Merle said._**

**_"Sorry, but I'm holding out for better company," Daryl scoffed, getting to his feet._**

**_"Ah, so ya miss ya dream girl," Merle shrugged, "I'm family, Baby Brother. Bro's before ho's or some shit like that."_**

**_ "What d'ya want, Merle?" Daryl sighed tiredly._**

**_"Just thought I'd come and remind ya 'bout a small favour ya owe me," Merle said nonchalantly flexing his hands._**

**_"Ya know, ya put an awful lot of faith in that I'm gonna go to Barksdale for ya when ya really ain't given me all that much advice," Daryl pointed out. Merle scowled, cocking his head to the side as he considered his brother._**

**_"I told ya how to save the little one!" Merle shot at him._**

**_"Ya told me I had to choose between Sophia and T!" Daryl reminded him._**

**_"I made ya think on it otherwise ya would have fucked it up somehow!" Merle spat._**

**_"Fuck you!" Daryl yelled back. Merle snorted._**

**_"Great comeback, Baby Brother!" he chuckled, "That what you're gonna say to Officer Dumbass when he comes at ya?"_**

**_"What d'ya know 'bout it?" Daryl demanded. Merle let out a long whistle._**

**_"Ol' Officer Shane don't seem to like you too much, Kid. Thought that was obvious or are we gonna have to talk about the benefits of observation again?" he asked._**

**_"Shane's a hothead. That's all," Daryl shrugged, though he had to wonder, especially now that his brother seemed to think that Shane was worthy of dream discussions. Shane had been hostile to him for a while, throwing punches at the CDC and glaring at him on the road, and when they arrived at the farm Shane had begun shooting him withering looks, looking down on him, and fighting with him, much more so than before._**

**_"Well, our buddy Officer Hothead ain't a fan of you, Lil' Brother. Pretty sure he ain't tickled 'bout how you and Ol' Officer Friendly have been on good terms…better than the dynamic cop duo nowadays since he's been slippin' the high hard one to ya pal's wife."_**

**_"I can handle Shane," Daryl said firmly, "An' you're changin' the topic! Thought we was talkin' 'bout your lil' field trip."_**

**_Merle laughed again, "I know it, Brother, but ya were the one just bitchin' on how I never help ya out. Now I am. Offered ya a good bit of solid in-fo-ma-tion. Now I expect ya to do me that favour!"_**

**_"Merle!" Daryl protested as his brother faded away._**

Daryl woke with a start to find Carol standing in front of the opening of his tent. He rubbed his face and sat up.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Sorry to wake you," she apologized, "You were mumbling in your sleep. You must miss him. Your brother."

"Yeah, somethin' like that," he shrugged, "Ya okay? Soph okay?"

"She's asleep," Carol sighed, sitting down on the ground beside his tent. He scooted closer to her, waiting for her to continue, "She had a rough night last night. Barely got any sleep."

Daryl nodded, "Makes two of us. I'm sorry 'bout earlier when I lost my head."

"Don't apologize," she shook her head, "You were just defending yourself-"

"Don't give a shit 'bout what he said 'bout me," he interrupted, "He had no right sayin' anythin' 'bout Sophia."

Carol was quiet for a moment, considering him closely before she reached over and placed her hand on his, "Thank you, Daryl."

He nodded.

"I'm just…she was doing so good, you know?" Carol continued, "She was actually happy. She was coming out of her shell. I noticed the looks, but I ignored them-"

"What looks?" he demanded. Carol shook her head.

"My girl is up runnin' around while Lori's boy is recovering from a bullet. I got my child back when hers nearly died. Suppose it's natural for her to look at me a little differently than before. And Shane…why he hasn't said more than three words to me since we got to this farm," she sighed.

"Neither of 'em have any right-"

"It didn't matter, at least not when I was the only one who noticed," Carol shrugged, "But when Sophia heard Shane say that…can you imagine goin' 'round thinkin' that it's your fault that your best friend almost died?" she wondered. She looked so lost and Daryl was forced to remember…

_She stood at the sink in the prison drying the same dish over and over. The others had scattered, off tending to something or another, but Daryl had not moved from his chair since dinner ended. He was watching her, concerned for her. She was just staring blankly ahead, reminding him of when he had leaned against the counter of the RV and waited for her to say anything about the loss of her daughter. It was easy to compare the two situations. She had lost another child after all._

_She had told him two weeks ago that she was pregnant. It shouldn't have been that much of a shock considering they hadn't exactly used protection on account of her supposedly not being able to have more kids, but it still threw him for a loop. He had gone on a two day hunting trip trying desperately to process it. He thought about his own daddy and was terrified that he would put his kid through that. Then at some point he thought of Rick and Hershel, two of the best fathers he knew. It was then he decided that maybe it wouldn't hurt to try. He had two good role models who surely wouldn't let him do anything stupid. So he dragged his sorry ass back to the prison along with the buck he finally managed to bag. She had stared at him as he dragged the carcass inside, but when he told her that he had needed to go out and provide for her and their kid, she had cried and latched onto him._

_Then last night it all changed. She had woke up covered in blood. He had been on watch and when he had come back, she had cleaned herself up and was sitting on the bed, clutching her knees to her chest. She had told him about how she lost it and then about her experiences with Ed. She claimed that she would be alright and that she just wanted him to hold her. He had done that, but he knew that she was a far cry from alright. She had functioned on autopilot all day, going about the tasks of the day as if she was numb to the world. She looked so lost. It broke his heart all over again and finally he just couldn't sit idly by while she wrestled with whatever was going on in her head._

_He got to his feet, hardly making a sound as he crossed the room. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She smelled like soap, always like soap, and for the thousandth time, he wondered just what she was doing with a dirt-covered hick like him. He just held her there, not caring how long they stood there or just who would walk in on them. She turned in his arms then and wrapped hers around his neck. She breathed him in and he felt her relax in his arms. Then she looked up at him and for the first time that day, she looked at him with the same warmth as she always had._

_"I love ya, woman."_

Daryl just couldn't help himself. He wanted nothing more than to make her feel better and so he moved, awkwardly wrapping his arm around her shoulders while still holding her hand with his other hand. Carol glanced at him in surprise, but then relaxed a little in his embrace.

"It'll be okay," he told her, "It will be."

She nodded, "Thank you, Daryl," she whispered, leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek, just inches from his lips again, "I'm gonna go check on Sophia."

She moved away from him and stood up. So did he.

"Listen, when she wakes up, I wanna show ya both somethin'," he told her. She nodded.

"I look forward to it," she said, smiling at him as she walked away. He watched her go, smiling slightly.

"Amy said that you were sweet on her," Dale said softly from behind him, making him jump. He glanced back at Dale who stood behind his tent.

"It's alright, Son. We all ought to find something to hold onto now," Dale said kindly.

"What d'ya want, Old Man?" Daryl asked, glancing down at his boots to hide the blush.

"Shane wants a protective watch on the barn and he wants his gun," Dale told him.

"So?" Daryl asked, shrugging slightly.

"I wanted your opinion since Rick thinks so highly of you," Dale explained, "Do you think I should give him the gun?"

This was new. In the old timeline, Dale had not consulted with Daryl on Shane. Back then, Dale had spoken to Andrea and whatever was said made Dale try to hide the guns. Daryl sighed, "Honestly? It'd be better if he didn't have 'em. With all the shit goin' on, he's liable to do something crazy."

"You mean with the barn?" Dale wondered, "He knows it's secure. Hopefully Rick can work something out with Hershel-"

Daryl let out a dry chuckle, remembering Shane's reaction to Rick 'working it out'. He shook his head, "Won't matter," he predicted, "Won't matter how safe it is. Soon as Ol' Shane figures that Olive Oyl has a bun in the oven, he's gonna go off the deep end."

It was true. Lori's pregnancy was what drove the two friends apart and had been the catalyst for Shane's one way ticket to crazy town. Dale blinked.

"You know about Lori?" he asked. Daryl cringed. Lori's pregnancy was only known to a privileged few at this point and he hadn't been one of them.

"Woman's been yackin' up shit and don't seem all that concerned by it. Add to the fact that her and Shane were goin' at it in the quarry, it ain't hard to figure out what's goin' on. Observant," Daryl said the word, hoping that Dale wouldn't look too closely at it. The old man simply nodded.

"And that is why I trust your judgement," he said before walking off towards the RV. Daryl just frowned and went off to the pond, more concerned with Carol and Sophia than Dale at the moment.

**TBC**

**Alright, so Daryl's showing just how sweet he is with Carol and Sophia, but will that be enough considering Shane's not a big fan of our favourite redneck? Also, Merle's back! Yay! I really wanted to add a scene with Dale in there as it has been pointed out that he also needs a reason to distrust Shane at this juncture. Totally agree with that. Also, you can expect a Shane/Lori scene in the next chapter, as that is also necessary for driving Shane to massacre the barn.**

**Next chapter: Barn-ageddon gives Daryl a reason to go from sweet to sour.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	15. Barn-ageddon

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful support! It was great to read all of the different reviews. This chapter hopefully won't disappoint!**

**Warning: Fighting**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 14: Barn-ageddon**

_Standing in the dark  
I can see your shadow  
You're the only light  
That's breaking through the window_

There's times I stayed alive for you There's times I would've died for you  
There's times it didn't matter at all

_Will you help me find the right way up  
Or let me take the wrong way down  
Will you straighten me out  
Or make me take the long way around  
I took the low road in  
I'll take the high road out  
I'll do whatever it takes  
To be the mistake you can't live without  
_**…Three Days Grace – The High Road**

* * *

Daryl was walking back to camp from the pond. He had made sure that everything was where it was supposed to be and was now returning to hopefully fetch Carol and Sophia. Instead, he happened upon a different pair.

"I thought he was dead-" Shane announced, coming up to Lori as she cut carrots. Daryl half hoped that she would stick him with the knife and make everyone's lives a little easier.

"Shane-"

"-and when he came, right then and there I wished he was, not because you wouldn't be mine, but because I knew that sooner or later, he would be dead. See Rick, he aint built for this world, way it is now-" Shane continued, kneeling in front of the stump.

"You're wrong. You're wrong," Lori protested.

"How many times has he saved your life?" Shane demanded, "I just wanna know how many times 'cause by my count, I've saved your life on four different occasions. Carl's too. So I wanna know how many times has he saved your life?"

"That night at the camp! The fish fry-" Lori tried.

"No. No, no-"

"Yes he did!"

"No, that was me too," Shane told her firmly, "See Rick, he showed up late over a suicide mission over nothin'. He joined in. see we wouldn't have been in that situation if he hadn't left because he felt he needed to leave to save a drug dealer. And so we lost Jim and so many others. Amy lost her arm…" Shane paused, staring directly at her, "Rick told me."

Ah, shit. Daryl knew that wasn't good.

"Told you what?" Lori tried to play dumb.

"I know the reason why you didn't. You know it's mine. You know we carried on quite a bit before Rick got back-," Shane reminded her.

"No-" Lori protested.

"Lori, it's mine, you know it is-"

"No, you're wrong! You're wrong!" Lori snapped, "I'm sorry, Shane. I'm sorry, but even if it's yours, it's not going to be yours. It's never gonna be yours and there's nothing you can do to change that!" she declared. It was a declaration that earned her a bit of Daryl's respect.

"I don't need to," Shane said, walking away. He stopped short when he saw Daryl standing a few feet away. His lip curled unpleasantly and it was enough for Lori to turn to him as well. Embarrassment coloured her cheeks at being caught. Daryl said nothing, glancing around for an escape. It came in the form of Carol and Sophia emerging from their tent. He nodded once to the very unhappy couple and then made his way back to the camp towards Carol and Sophia. He hoped that Shane would keep his distance. He didn't want that guy anywhere near them. When he chanced a look back, Shane was gone and Lori was taking her carrots to boil.

"Come with me," he said. He led Carol and Sophia towards the pond, keeping an eye out for Shane, but the ex-cop was off stewing. He shrugged and then directed them towards the side with the dock. He smiled when he saw the white blooms there.

"Where are we going?" Carol asked as she led Sophia after him.

"Ya see it?" he asked as they neared the edge of the water, "See?" he pointed. He saw recognition flit over Carol's face, but it was Sophia who spoke.

"Those are the flowers from the story," she whispered.

"Cherokee Roses," Carol remembered. Daryl nodded and knelt down to Sophia's height.

"Remember what they mean, Soph?" he asked.

"They give hope and strength," she recited.

"Yeah, they do," Daryl agreed as he plucked a flower from the bush and offered it to the twelve-year-old, "Ya know, Kid, I think I've said this before, but ya got a lot of strength. Ya mama too."

Sophia frowned, "I'm not strong, Daryl. Not like you."

Daryl chuckled, "Being strong ain't about havin' muscles, Kid. It's about bein' able to go on in the world when it tries to kick your ass…uh…butt…" he corrected, glancing a Carol, fully expecting to be scolded for his language, but she simply smiled at him in wonder. There was something there on her face, something different, but before he had time to think on it, her daughter spoke up.

"But I'm not like that, Daryl," Sophia protested.

"Hell you talkin' 'bout, Girl?" Daryl frowned, "'Course ya are! Tell me somethin', Lil' Rabbit. Ya scared of 'em walkers in the barn?"

She nodded her head.

"So's Shane," Daryl told her, "Difference is while you're standin' here cool as a cucumber, Shane's off screaming crazy shit 'cause he can't handle it."

"Shane's scared?" Sophia asked, confused.

"Even grown-ups get scared, Sophia," Carol answered gently, "and when they do, they can say lots of things that they don't mean."

"Yeah," Daryl agreed, "See Shane's lettin' his fear control him and make him say and do stupid shit. Your fear don't control you, Soph. You don't let it, which is why you're not screamin' and yellin' like that ol' hothead. Way I see it, you're a hell of a lot stronger than ol' Shane."

A small smile was starting to spread on her face as she looked up at her mother for confirmation.

"I agree, Soph," Carol said, "You are so strong, Baby."

"So what he said about Carl…" Sophia trailed off, still looking worried.

"That was a big ol' lie," Daryl confirmed for her, "Ya didn't tell him to go out into the forest after ya. Ya didn't tell Otis to shoot him. He made the choice so it ain't ya fault."

Suddenly he was reminded of the dream he had the first night on the farm, the one where dream Carol had tried to tell him that all of the bad stuff wasn't his fault. Maybe she was right after all.

"But he was there because of me…" Sophia protested. Daryl made a face.

"Well, I guess the kid does follow ya 'round an awful lot. He your boyfriend or somethin'?" he asked.

"Daryl!" Sophia protested, blushing but laughing as she chastised him.

"So he ain't?" Daryl wondered, "Guess he wants to be if he's followin' ya 'round so damn much."

"Daryl!" she protested again, laughing even more. He chuckled along with her and when he saw the smile on Carol's face, his own split into a big grin.

"Well whatever then," he shrugged, "Your love life. I'm just glad that smile's back on ya face. Now I slept like crap last night and I'm fixin' to wake myself up."

"What?" Carol asked. He smirked and toed off his boots and socks.

"Goin' swimming. It's hot as hell out here," he said simply before making his way out onto the dock and jumping into cool water. When he emerged, Carol and Sophia were standing at the edge of the dock.

"Water's great," he told them. He watched as Sophia looked to Carol for permission before she jumped in with him.

"Come on, Mom!" Sophia cheered from beside Daryl in the water. Carol looked hesitant.

"Come on," Daryl called, "Feels great!"

He watched with a bit of pleasure as Carol untied the sweater from her waist and took off her shoes. She put them in a neat pile on the dock and then she clenched her eyes shut and jumped in after them.

"It's cold!" she spluttered as she came up. Daryl and Sophia laughed and started splashing each other. The three of them played around for a little bit, laughing and splashing, until they heard shouts from up by the house.

"What's going on?" Carol asked, standing up in the shallow water by the banks. Daryl knew exactly what was taking place as Shane argued with the others about the guns.

"Nothin' good," Daryl muttered, moving to stand beside her.

"Is Shane scared again?" Sophia questioned, moving to stand in between them.

"Yeah," Daryl nodded tersely.

"Should we go over there?" Carol asked. Daryl considered it for a moment. The group could use his help with clearing the barn, but as he looked over at Carol and Sophia, he decided that he didn't want them anywhere near that barn.

"Nah. I've got a feelin' that shit's gonna hit the fan where that barn's concerned. Don't want no part in it," he said. He cringed as Shane let out a primal roar as he led the group in a chase towards the barn.

"Oh God, that's Rick!" Carol gasped, "Him and Hershel are leading walkers to the barn!"

A sloshing noise told him that Sophia was now beside her mother, clinging to her wet shirt. Daryl stood tense, listening to Shane's frustrated shouts as he screamed at Hershel and Rick, arguing about the state of the walkers. Daryl jumped as Shane fired into the walker Hershel was holding on the pole. Carol and Sophia jumped as well, the latter emitting a frightened gasp. Daryl moved so that he was on the other side of Sophia, ready to offer her comfort.

"THAT'S THREE TO THE CHEST!" they heard Shane bellow, "WHY IS IT STILL COMIN'?"

Another gunshot and Daryl felt Sophia jump beside him.

"THAT'S ITS HEART! WHY IS IT STILL COMIN'?" Shane demanded.

"SHANE! ENOUGH!" Rick cried as he struggled to hold the walker on his pole.

"YEAH, THAT IS ENOUGH!" Shane spat, firing again, this time shooting Hershel's walker in the head, "ENOUGH! RISKIN' OUR LIVES FOR NOTHIN'! ENOUGH LIVIN' NEXT TO A BARN FULL OF THINGS TRYIN' TO KILL US! ENOUGH! IT AIN'T LIKE IT WAS BEFORE, RICK! YOU ALL WANNA LIVE? YOU WANNA SURVIVE? YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR IT! YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT FOR IT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"

Then Shane was running for the barn doors, hitting at them with a pickaxe.

"What's he doing?" Carol questioned, breathless as she held Sophia to her.

"Openin' the door," Daryl whispered. The screams, shouts, and pleas of the others fell on deaf ears as Shane got the door open. The walkers spilled out and the shots rang out as the others reacted, firing their weapons in self-defence or cowering behind the line of fighters. Andrea, T-Dog, Glenn, and Shane were firing. Amy and Jacqui held onto each other as Lori held her boy close to her. Dale was slowly approaching the scene while Rick struggled to hold the walker on the snap-pole. The Greenes were in shock, staring as their walker family and friends were put down. Each shot had Sophia jumping and then she was crying, so hard that she collapsed back into the water. Carol knelt down with her, consoling her as she cried.

Daryl watched as the walkers fell. He could hear Shane shouting instructions to the group, "Breathe and focus! Aim! Fire!"

It was as if he was giving a shooting lesson while he cleared the barn and after a moment or so, it seemed that the group had learned the lesson for more shots starting hitting their targets, bits of blood and brain flying with each headshot.

Then it was done. The last walker had been put down and they lowered their guns. Hershel was on his knees as Maggie tried to comfort him. Daryl shook his head, willing the memories of the first time it happened to stay away. He turned to look at Sophia and Carol, both shivering in the shallow water.

"It's over now," he told them. Sophia whimpered in response. Daryl sighed and knelt down, scooping Sophia out of the water and carrying her to the bank. The kid weighed next to nothing. He set her down on the grass. Carol was there and they both kneeled down to offer her some kind of comfort. They were both surprised when she spoke.

"It was like that! In my dream, it was like that!" she whimpered. Daryl froze.

"Like what, Sweetheart?" Carol asked.

"When I was in the dark place with the walkers, it was loud and there were lots of shots and the walkers kept going towards them," Sofia whispered, shaking, "Then I was walking to the light through the doors and I looked up and everybody was there. They were pointing guns at me…"

"Baby…" Carol looked at a loss, unsure of what to say.

"You were there, Momma," Sophia cried, "You were running towards me and crying and Daryl caught you before you could get to me. Then I was going forward and I was tripping over the dead walkers. I think…I think I wanted to bite someone," she sobbed, "Carl's dad came up and he pointed his gun at me and then there was another shot and then nothing."

Then she buried herself in the safety of her mother's arms leaving Daryl to relive every single moment of the first time, of when she had stumbled out of the barn and when he watched as the little girl he had searched so tirelessly for was gunned down. He hung his head and tried to breathe.

When Sophia had calmed, Daryl numbly lead Carol and Sophia back towards the farm. He had suspected it with Amy, but now, he was sure that those he saved were having memories of their deaths in the previous timelines. Not just their deaths, but their reanimations. He could see it now.

He remembered at the CDC when Lori told Carol that Ed had been hostile to Shane, who at that point had done nothing to the bastard. Ed must have remembered back into the original timeline where Shane had been the one to beat his head in. Maybe the son-of-a-bitch even remembered Carol taking the pickaxe to his head and wanted to punish her more for it. Maybe that's what drove his actions at the CDC.

Amy had told him that she had dreamed of herself becoming a walker and of Andrea putting her down.

Jacqui had said a few times that she had thoughts of herself staying at the CDC and being incinerated, but he had chalked it up as nothing significant. Even Daryl often wondered what would have happened had they not escaped the CDC.

Now Sophia's nightmares not only confirmed his theory on how she was bit and placed in the barn, but they also told of her second death where their group had watched on in horror as her walker-self was put down.

Daryl wondered how much of the original timeline they remembered. Would Amy recall how she really died, with no one there to save her? Would Jacqui remember her choice to opt out? Would Sophia realize that her father was never supposed to be at the CDC? Would she remember him yelling at her at the Vatos headquarters? Would she realize that he had never saved her? He chewed his thumb as they neared the camp. So far, no one had said anything about things being different, but that didn't mean a thing. Was this the consequence that Merle had warned him about? Unfortunately, those thoughts would have to wait.

"Where the hell were you?" Shane demanded, abandoning his argument with Rick and Lori to stomp up to Daryl, Carol, and Sophia, "Where the hell were you, Man?"

Shane was spoiling for another fight. Daryl could see that and all he wanted to do was avoid it, "Was out," was all he said as he directed Carol and Sophia towards the tents.

"Out?" Shane scoffed, "What the fuck do you mean 'out'? We needed you, Man, and you were 'out'!"

"Ya seemed to be doin' just fine from where I was standin'," Daryl replied evenly.

"That ain't the point!" Shane shouted, "Point is you weren't around when we actually needed you!"

"Shane, that's enough-" Rick tried to intervene, but Shane waved him off.

"Nah, Man, you think this guy's so damn great, but where was he when them walkers were coming at us?" Shane snapped back at Rick.

"And who was the damn reason the walkers were comin' at ya in the first place?" Daryl demanded, hardly taking this lying down, "I didn't open the damn door!"

"I did what I had to do to keep this group safe!" Shane yelled back, "That was me! Where were you, huh? Off pickin' flowers?" he asked, glancing at Carol and Sophia.

"I don't have to clean up your damn mess!" Daryl shouted, "I don't answer to you! Don't answer to no one!"

"That so? Why don't we ask the group about your little disappearing act? What do they think about you abandoning them?" Shane spat, glancing around their campsite.

"Never abandoned nobody!" Daryl protested, but when he looked around, he was shocked by what he saw. T-Dog and Jacqui had bowed their heads, looking anywhere else. Amy looked very uncomfortable as she tried to sink deeper into her chair. Dale rested his hand on her shoulder, reassuring her. Andrea was biting her lower lip, like she was debating saying something. Glenn was just staring at him. Rick was looking over at Shane. It was Lori who stepped up.

"They were nearly overrun. An extra gun would have helped…" she spoke hesitantly. Daryl was hurt by the looks. Nobody defended him and the one who did speak was doing it to condemn him. He clenched his jaw.

"See?" Shane demanded, "You let them down!"

"Shane that's not fair-" Andrea started to say, but the man cut her off.

"Really?" Shane asked her, "Them walkers were about on top of you before you were able to start takin' them out. What if one had gotten passed us, huh? What if one of them got Amy?"

Andrea hesitated now. Shane was playing on her loyalty to her sister and her ability to keep her safe. The thought that she could still lose Amy weighed heavily on her mind and she had to do whatever she could to keep her safe. Still, it was hard for her to blame Daryl, "They didn't and it wasn't Daryl's fault, Shane!"

"Next time, it could be!" Shane pointed out, "I won't deny he's a good shot, but suppose he's out pickin' daisies and a herd rolls through here? If every able body ain't willin' to do whatever they can to keep the group safe, then they ain't no good to the group!"

Daryl could see unease set over the group as they considered Shane's words. The fact that they were even listening to this lunatic made Daryl angry.

"And what good are you?" Daryl shouted, "I've done more for this damn group that anybody!"

"What the hell have you done, Daryl?" Shane scoffed, "You expect us to bow at your feet because you got lucky with Amy's arm and went after a kid in the forest?"

"I SAVED THEM!" Daryl roared, "Ya woulda just watched Amy die! And ya didn't even fuckin' try goin' after Sophia in that forest! Ya woulda left her for dead!"

"I woulda done what's best for the group!" Shane bellowed back, "You may not like it, but I can make the hard calls! I do the difficult things for the good of this group!"

"Ya sicked fuckin' walkers on 'em!" Daryl howled back.

"I cleared the barn! I got 'em to fight! I made 'em safe!" Shane puffed himself up and pointed at his own chest, "ME!"

"Ya got 'em to fuckin' slaughter the old man's family! Ya couldn't give the man a chance and somehow I'm the bad guy for not takin' part in a fuckin' massacre!" Daryl raged.

"YOU SOLD OUT!" Shane screamed at him, "WHILE WE WERE DOIN' ALL THE WORK, YOU PUSSIED OUT TO GO PLAY FUCKIN' HOUSE-"

"FUCK YOU!" Daryl hollered, lunging for Shane, but the ex-cop grabbed him in a headlock and threw him to the ground.

"YOU AIN'T WORTH SHIT TO THIS GROUP IF YOU AIN'T GONNA BE THERE WHEN WE NEED YOU!" Shane bellowed down at him. Daryl dove at him again, this time taking Shane down to the ground with him. Hands were on him, separating him from Shane. He stumbled away from T-Dog and Glenn, nursing a cut lip. Rick was pulling Shane back.

"Yer the one ain't worth shit to this group!" Daryl snarled viciously, "All ya do is fuckin' pull bullshit to try and impress a woman who ain't want your sorry ass!"

"What'd you say?" Shane demanded, trying to get around Rick, "What'd you say to me, you son-of-a-bitch?"

"You heard me!" Daryl spat, "Ya don't give a shit 'bout this group unless it has somethin' to do with the woman you ain't-"

He heard the punch before he felt it. He stumbled backwards, clutching his face. Warm blood dripped into his hands, but he was fairly certain that his nose wasn't broken. The blow had hit his cheekbone and then glanced off his nose, making it bleed.

"Daryl!" he heard someone call out his name and the scuffle as Rick and Glenn pushed Shane back. His head ached and all he wanted was to get out of there, lick his wounds in peace.

"HELL WITH YA!" Daryl raged, stumbling to his feet as he stomped away, "HELL WITH ALL YA'LL!"

Then he stormed away from them, roughly ripping the flap to his tent opened. It was nowhere near satisfying as he still could hear Rick trying to lead Shane away and Lori trying to get the group to disperse. Daryl listened as the sounds died away, replaying the argument over and over in his mind. Not one person jumped in to defend him. They had just stood there with thumbs up their asses. Andrea had tried, but it was obvious that she had other priorities. Everyone did. He had thought he was more a part of the group now than he had been before, but he was wrong. Rick had his family and Shane was throwing a tantrum to try to be part of that family. Andrea had Amy and Dale, the three of them unquestioningly loyal and protective of each other. Carol had Sophia, which Daryl wouldn't have any other way. Glenn was integrating himself in with the Greene's already. T-Dog and Jacqui shared a close bond, always near each other and exchanging kind words and lingering glances.

When it came down to it, he was the odd man out, the lone wolf. That was fine. He had been the loner before. He could do it again.

**TBC**

**Alright, so after a good moment, Daryl's day turned sour. Hopefully Shane's outburst doesn't totally appear out of left field. He's been spoiling for a fight with Daryl for a while. I think it'd be awkward for the others to watch, which explains their silence, but of course Daryl would misinterpret it. Plus, it gives him a reason to go sulk.**

**Next chapter: Daryl relocates to the suburbs. Also, Jacqui gets some brownie points from Caryl shippers.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	16. Pulling Away

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful support! It was great to read all of the different reviews. This chapter shows a few key thoughts and reactions to the last one.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 15: Pulling Away**

_She said "I don't know if I've ever been good enough"  
I'm a little bit rusty, and I think my head is caving in  
And I don't know if I've ever been really loved  
By a hand that's touched me,  
__well I feel like something's gonna give_  
_ And I'm a little bit angry, well_

_I wanna push you around, well I will, I will_  
_I wanna push you down, well I will, I will_  
_ I wanna take you for granted, I wanna take you for granted_  
_ Well I will_

_And I don't know why you couldn't just stay with me_  
_ You couldn't stand to be near me_  
_ When my face don't seem to want to shine_  
_ Cuz it's a little bit dirty well_

_ Don't just stand there, say nice things to me_  
_ I've been cheated I've been wronged, and you_  
_ You don't know me, I can't change_  
_ I won't do anything at all_**  
...Matchbox Twenty - Push**

* * *

Daryl Dixon was hurt and when Daryl Dixon was hurt, things tended to get ugly. Most times, he stewed for a while, vented his anger on something, and then got over it. Right now, all he wanted was to be left alone and that was hard to do in a camp that held so much noise. He let out a long sigh, got to his feet, and stepped outside his tent. Then he worked the tent pegs out of the ground. He hadn't intended to relocate this time around, but it was obvious that he wasn't considered part of the group, or at least not an important part.

Things weren't like they were before, in his time. In his time, he knew that he had a place and he knew that he was respected and needed. He was a valued member of the group. Here, in this fucked up alternate reality, he was treated with surprise for any good deed, like they thought him incapable of doing good. His saving Amy was a "lucky hunch". Him going after Sophia got him a pat on the head and then a shoulder of blame for being the so-called reason that Carl Grimes was shot. He should have known better, should have expected it. In this time, he was still that redneck Dixon character who fought first and asked questions later.

He grunted as he pulled up stakes, wanting nothing more than to be on his own. One voice from the edge of camp caught his ear.

"I'm going to see if there's any ice in the house for Daryl," Carol's voice carried from over by the wash basin, making him pause, "I feel horrible about what happened."

Daryl shook his head. There was no reason for her to feel bad about any of it. It wasn't her fault.

"Where were the three of you anyway?" Jacqui's voice questioned.

"Daryl was trying to make Sophia feel better about what Shane said," Carol explained, "We lost track of time and then the yelling and shooting started. He stayed with us, made sure we were alright. If Shane should have been yelling at anyone, it should have been me. Daryl didn't deserve that."

"Why do you figure he should have yelled at you?" Jacqui asked. That was a very good question, Daryl thought. He was glad Shane didn't yell at Carol. He would bear the brunt of that asshole's attitude any day so that Carol wouldn't have to deal with a yelling man once again.

"One of the group's best fighters was out with me at the pond trying to sort through my problems. From the sounds of it, the barn was pretty bad and they were down a man because of me," Carol replied.

"Honey, you don't need to blame yourself," Jacqui chided her, "No one got hurt. The closest ones to getting hurt were probably Rick and Hershel when Shane shot at those walkers they were holding. Shane was just…"

"Scared?" Carol offered, "That's what Daryl told Sophia."

"I was going to say 'an asshole', but that works too," Jacqui allowed, "Shane was spoiling for a fight today. You know that. Besides, Daryl is a big boy. It's not like you jumped on him and kept him there with you, is it?"

"Jacqui!" Carol protested, sounding a bit embarrassed at the thought, "No, Sophia and I didn't stop him."

"Well then, it sounds like he was exactly where he wanted to be when this whole thing went down," Jacqui said matter-of-factly, "It's not a bad thing to have a good man in your corner, Carol. The fact that he wanted to stay with you and Sophia tells me that he's a pretty decent guy. If I had known that's where he was before when Shane was yelling, I would have said something to that effect earlier."

"He is a good man," Carol admitted, "So good."

She sounded hesitant and Daryl was thankful when Jacqui picked up on that, asking, "So what's the problem?"

"He just…he has no reason to be so nice to me…"

"I think he has plenty," Jacqui assured her, "You're a wonderful woman, Carol, and from what I've been seeing since the quarry, I think that he's plenty interested in you. He was the first person to do something about Ed. He went out of his way and injured himself to find Sophia and bring her back to you. He offered to teach you and Sophia how to fight first, before the rest of us. He tried to make you and Sophia feel better and then he stayed with you during the barn shooting. He's always keeping an eye on you and your girl. Oh, Honey, that man is plenty interested in you," Jacqui said, pausing and here, Daryl imagined that Carol was biting her lip again. Then Jacqui asked, "Are you interested in him?"

The silence was the longest Daryl had ever heard in his life. His heart sped up in his chest, beating wildly as he waited for Carol to speak.

"I…I don't know…" Carol struggled to get out, unknowingly making Daryl's heart miss one of those wild beats, "I don't know how I feel for him."

"Think on it," Jacqui advised, "He might be rough around the edges, but you deserve a decent man like that in your life. Go get him that ice. I bet he'd appreciate it."

The conversation was over as Carol walked away. Daryl had so many thoughts racing through his head. On the one hand, he wanted to be left alone. On the other hand, he was fixated on Carol, wondering just what feelings she had or didn't have for him. Did he want to know? After that performance with Shane, surely she would see that he was violent and quick-tempered and surely she would decide that she wouldn't want that around her and her daughter. Yet, she did want to get him ice, but then again, that was Carol, always taking care of everyone. She did think that he was a good man, though. Maybe…but he wasn't good enough for her. Not by a long shot.

Against his will, flashes of her future death invaded his mind. Carol, moving behind him to take the bite meant for him. Carol, falling to the ground, clutching her neck to try to staunch the blood flow. Carol, with tears in her eyes as she told him that she loved him. Her smile after they kissed their last kiss. The feel of her soft, cold fingertips on his hand as she took Rick's gun from him, making sure that he would not have to put her down. The sound of the gun…

He tried to breathe and suck in ragged gasps of air. It was then that he realized that tears obscured his vision. He needed to get out of there. He roughly grabbed his tent, still erect, and dragged it away from the group, not quite so far as last time because a tent pole snapped halfway to the broken stone hearth he had camped out at the last time. He stopped to fix it and then figured that this spot would do. It was definitely far enough away from that arrogant bastard Shane and it was far enough for him to get some distance from the group. He set up the tent and then sagged onto the ground. He was too tired to go into the forest to work out his frustrations so he buried his feelings on Shane and Carol and the rest of the group as best as he could and decided to try his fallback method of whittling arrows to calm himself. At least it was productive.

Except he botched his first two attempts on account of his distracted, disjointed thoughts making his hand viciously run the knife over the wood. He was too harsh. He willed himself to calm and successfully got his act together to whittle two better arrows. He was starting on his fifth when a familiar voice called to him. He groaned in frustration.

"You've relocated to the suburbs," Lori commented. FUCK! He had completely forgot that she would try to get him to fetch. He didn't want or need this right now.

"What the hell d'ya want?" he snarled.

"Beth collapsed. We need Hershel. Rick and Glenn took off to get her, but-"

"Then what d'ya need me for?" he snapped.

"I need you to get them-"

"Rick's a big boy. He can take care of himself!" Daryl growled.

"But Beth-"

"Listen, Lady! I ain't doin' shit for ya!" he snapped at her. Her look of judgement only incensed him.

"How can you be so selfish?" Lori demanded. Daryl jumped to his feet.

"I'm selfish?" he yelled, "I risked my life for Sophia's! I took an arrow for that kid! What did Shane do for her? What did ya do for her aside from make her feel guilty for livin'?" he demanded, "I ain't your damn dog and I don't owe ya or anyone else a damn thing so leave me the fuck alone!"

He turned away, hearing every step she took away from his sorry campsite. Where did that bitch get off telling him he was worthless for sitting out of the barn massacre and then coming to ask him to fetch for her?

He abandoned his whittling. He knew that every potential arrow would be reduced to a mess by the time he was through. He paced for a while. He even stormed out to the treeline to demolish something, throwing dead wood around and crunching saplings under his boots. By the time he went back to his camp, it was starting to get dark and he was scratched to shit and aching. He had tired himself out and wanted nothing more than to fall back into his tent. He sprawled out on his back, staring up and the bluish hue of his ceiling. It was a full moon tonight and it gave off ample light for him to stare off at. His thoughts circled around all that had happened.

He was bitter about what was said by Shane and in his opinion, he had every damn right to be. After everything he'd done, he was still considered to be an outsider. He was just the damn redneck who everyone avoided because he was rough back in Atlanta and had a drug-abusing asshole for a brother. He had no family here and no one had any desire to make any connections with him, at least not yet. He frowned. He wasn't a part of the ever so wonderful Grimes family and as such, was hardly worth anything more than an extra gun. He knew it was a disastrous way of thinking, but it was hard to avoid it when he was getting berated by Shane and then summoned like a dog by Lori. He knew that he was worth more to the group, but the frustrating thing was that they didn't consider him to be right now. They still thought of him as the rough redneck who threatened first with arrows and asked questions later. He was…a henchman who was to be deeply punished when he didn't perform as asked.

He hated it and he even resented the others a bit for it. That was part of the reason he had let Lori go off on her own. Let her do something for herself for a change. He knew Shane would go get her like the obsessive ex-boy-toy he was. He also knew that Rick, Hershel, and Glenn could handle themselves in town. Sure, they'd bring back Randall, but then again, that kid had ended up being a key part in Shane's eventual demise. Maybe Daryl ought to just sit back and let that one happen.

"Daryl?"

He got up like a dog being called by its master. Carol was outside, clutching her shawl tightly around her and holding a back of slushy ice water in her hand.

"I thought this would make you feel better…I wasn't sure if you wanted to be left alone or not, but…well…this will help," she got out. He took it cautiously, like a wild animal inching forward to take food from a hiker.

"Did wanna be left alone," he muttered, placing the bag of slush to his sore cheek, "Least 'til Olive Oyl came 'round."

"Do you know where Lori is?" she asked, frowning, "She's not in the house…"

Daryl raised an eyebrow and turned away. That was the real reason why she appeared in his camp. It was not to care for him, but to figure out if he knew where Queen Lori had run off to. Christ they were always looking for that woman or her fucking kid. They had Carol running errands, treating her like a second-class citizen. He could live with being the henchman, but he couldn't stand them treating her this way.

"Beats the hell outta me," he shrugged, "Probably went off lookin' for Rick."

"How do you know that?" she asked, frowning in the pale moonlight.

"'Cause she asked me to go," he shrugged again.

"And you didn't?" she questioned incredulously. He looked her in the eyes. He saw something like confusion there, like she couldn't understand why he would refuse Lori's request when he would do nearly anything for her. He hung his head in an effort to keep from snapping.

"Why would I?" he asked, kicking at a log near his sad little fire pit, "Rick can take care of himself. It's not my problem that she needs to keep tabs on him. I ain't her boy-toy. I ain't her damn dog neither. She don't tell me to fetch."

"Daryl-"

"Dammit, Carol!" he cried in frustration, "Don't ya get it? The damn woman don't say two words to me unless she's askin' me to do somethin' or if she's helpin' damn Shane give me shit for not doin' something! Otherwise she don't see me as nothin' more than a piece of redneck trash!"

"You're hurt," she observed. For a moment, he thought she might reach out and touch him, but he stepped back, away from her so she wouldn't get the chance.

"Fuckin' pissed off," he snapped at her, "If ya ain't a member of the first fuckin' family, ya ain't worth shit 'round here! I'm a dog and ya ain't no more than an errand girl!"

"Daryl, stop-"

"Just leave me be!" he snapped, "Go back and report to Shane so he can go save the fuckin' first lady."

"Daryl, I -"

He kicked at the ground and stalked away, leaving her to look on after him. He knew Carol had gone back to the house to alert Shane about Lori taking off. She deserved more than that. She deserved more than him. He hated himself for snapping at her. It reminded him of before, in the other timeline. He had hurt her then, he knew that. He still hated himself for it. He didn't want to do that to her again, make her flinch away from him. He didn't want to be cast in the same light as Ed.

It occurred to him then, that she might come back to his camp, as she had done in the other timeline. His stomach twisted horribly at the thought that he could snap at her again, like he had before when he had blamed her for not keeping an eye on Sophia. He had been so angry, so hurt, so ashamed of himself for not being able to find her daughter. He hadn't known how to deal with it then. Before, his go-to reaction to that frustration would have been to hit something. In fact, he had almost done it, then. He had lurched forward and she had turned her head, probably knowing that after years of abuse, the hit would hurt less if she was prepared for it. She would have taken his hit, too.

He shuddered and ran his hands through his hair. The thought that he could hurt her, verbally or physically, tore him up inside. He would never intentionally hurt her, but if he lost control…if he let the anger inside him rule him like it once did, he could end up hurting her and for that, he would never be able to forgive himself.

_"What're ya doin'?" he demanded, catching her as she glanced around his camp, gazing in mild horror at the geek ears and dead squirrels. She startled, but calmed down when she saw him._

_"I'm keeping an eye on you," she told him._

_"Ain't you a peach," he scoffed, turning away._

_"I'm not gonna let you pull away," she called to him, "You've earned your place."_

_He clenched his jaw and approached her._

_"If ya spent half as much time mindin' your daughter's business instead of stickin' your nose into everybody else's, she'd still be alive!" he spat in response. For a moment, he wondered what she would say to that. It was a lie and they both knew it. Carol never interfered in any of the others' business and had watched Sophia a hell of a lot more closely than Lori did Carl. He wondered if she would get mad, if she would cry or run away. He hoped that she would. He couldn't deal with this now. _

_She surprised him when she steadied herself and said, "Go ahead," in a soft, clear voice. He frowned._

_"Go ahead and what?" he demanded. She just stared at him, her eyes boring into his soul and making him ache for what he couldn't do for her. He did the only thing he knew how. He snapped, "Just go! I don't want you here!"_

_She didn't move or say anything. He stalked back to her, pointing at her face._

_"You're a real piece of work lady! What're ya gonna make this 'bout my daddy or some crap like that? Pfft! Ya don't know jack!" he scoffed, "You're afraid! You're afraid 'cause you're all alone! You got no husband. No daughter. You don't know what to do with yourself!"_

_Still she stood there, still as a statue. It made him angry._

_"You ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine! All ya had to do was keep an eye on her!" he yelled, lurching forward. Now she flinched, tilting her head back, ready to take the hit as if she had done it hundreds of times before._

_Her movement sobered him and made him consider himself. He had been fixing to hit her. Violence had been his learned behaviour and taking it was hers. The look on her face as she regarded him made him freeze. He wondered then if she had come to him expecting him to yell at her, expecting him to hit her, and she would have taken it without a word. He stepped back, glaring._

"Don't come back. Please don't come back," he whispered, burying his head in his hands. He just wanted her to leave him alone and let him stew. He would apologize to her in the morning for snapping, but now…now he just didn't want to see her, or rather, he didn't want her to see him.

**TBC**

**Well, when Daryl's hurting, things tend to get ugly. He's realizing that he's already said and done some hurtful things and knows what's coming next. Can he make a change?**

**Next chapter: Carol visits again.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	17. Real Change

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful support! I love reading your thoughts on this story! So Carol is paying a visit to our favourite hunter.**

**Warning: Sexual situations ahead.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 16: Real Change**

_God, you still amaze me  
When you speak to me that way  
Oh, the sound of your voice  
The look in your eyes, you stand there in your grace  
You told me that the scars you bear  
Are beautiful and real  
So turn the lights back on again  
I wanna see the things you feel_

And we've got one night  
To let the whole world know  
Just how perfect we could be  
Just close your eyes and then you'll see

Feel it when you're near me  
And I know when you're not there  
Numb on the edge and so alone  
And no one seems to care  
But you reach out and pull me back  
And love me 'til I'm free  
All the joy in my life I feel like I've lost,  
you see inside of me  
**…Goo Goo Dolls – One Night**

* * *

He hung his head in shame as the memory played over and over. He prayed that this time around, she wouldn't come back to his camp. He didn't want to be reminded of that. He didn't want to remember what he was back then and he certainly didn't want to be tempted to treat her that way again.

He should have known that he could not catch a break when it came to Carol. He heard her approach not even twenty minutes after she left. He turned and she was in his camp again, as he knew she would be. She was looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite place.

"What d'ya want?" he mumbled. Her eyes met his.

"I'm keeping an eye on you," she said. The words pained him. They were the same words she had spoken the last time.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you're hurt. You're pulling away because for some reason you don't think you're worthy of this group when you've done more to keep us safe than anyone. I'm not going to let you pull away," she said, "You've-"

"If ya tell me I've earned my place or some shit like that, you obviously ain't been paying attention," he cut across her, "I ain't nobody."

"That's not true," Carol shook her head, "I know it isn't. After all you've done-"

"It don't matter," he told her, "Don't mean a thing what I've done and ya don't have to hang 'round here like ya owe me or somethin' 'cause ya don't!"

She was here to sing his praises, tell him about all of the wonderful shit he did because he had helped her out and by being here…well, maybe she was just trying to fulfill some debt. He didn't want that, not from her.

"Owe you?" she questioned, frowning.

"I didn't do any of that shit for you," he lied, "I only went after Sophia 'cause I knew no one else would! I only tore your husband off of ya 'cause I don't believe in a man layin' into his wife and kid! Saw enough of that shit when I was growin' up! Didn't do it for ya so ya can go on your way 'cause ya don't owe me a goddamn thing!"

"You think I'm here because I think I owe you some debt?" Carol asked, "Daryl, I'm grateful for those things and I know everyone else is grateful for the things you did for them-"

"Bullshit!" he muttered.

"Amy and Andrea were just saying how they should have said something when Shane was yelling. They feel bad because they just stood there after you saved Amy-"

"So what?" Daryl grunted, turning away. He heard her huff out a sigh.

"Daryl Dixon, the point is that I'm not here because I think I owe you for those things! I'm grateful, yes, but that's not why I'm here!" she yelled at him. He was shocked for a moment, but then he recovered.

"Then why the hell are ya here?" he demanded, turning back to face her, "Why would ya come out here to talk to an asshole like me?"

"Because I care about you!" she cried, effectively stopping him in his tracks.

"Why the hell would ya do a fool thing like that?" he asked, no longer yelling as he stared down at her. Her face was set, as if she was more than ready to defend him against himself, and there was something there in her eyes, something that reminded him of that day in the prison when they had kissed for the first time. He froze. Could it be…?

"Because I see you, the real you," she told him, "I see you for the kind, smart, gentle man you are. You believed in me, more than anyone else in my life ever has. You believed that I could be stronger and you gave me hope. That moment in the CDC when you were talking about finding some bit of happiness in this world and the way you were so sure of it…that's when I knew that I wanted to be around you! And after this afternoon and seeing you with Sophia, I know that there's nowhere else I'd rather be than here with you!" she admitted, causing his heart to stop in his chest, "Despite what you said before about not caring, I think…I think you really do care for me the same way I care for you and I think you're just trying to push me away because you're afraid!"

He tried to get his brain to work. This woman, this hell of a woman, had just told him that she cared about him and that she wanted to be around him because she actually liked him and not because of what he did for her. He tried to work out what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that his sole purpose was to save her life and at that moment, he didn't really give two shits about who got caught in the crossfire because of it. He wanted to tell her that he loved her and that he thought that her future self was a damn fool for seeing anything in him, but that he was so glad that she did.

He just couldn't get his damn mouth to work. She looked unsure now, maybe wondering if she had been wrong about his feelings for her. Shit. He had to say something. He had to let her know. He shot out his hand, grabbing her wrist to ensure she wouldn't leave him. His next words were uttered without his brain consenting.

"I want ya here," he said the opposite of what he said before, in the other timeline. Her face changed to surprise, like this was the last thing she expected him to say. She blinked.

"You do?" she asked, covering his hand on her wrist with her other hand. Her thumb was gently stroking his skin, a gesture that somehow always managed to calm him. He hadn't quite realized the extent to which he needed her touch.

"I want ya here," he repeated and for a moment, he wasn't just talking to her, but to her future, dead self, "I don't want ya to go. I do care…I…I…Don't go. Please, don't go."

She removed her hand from his and reached up to gently touch the side of his cheek. He melted into her touch, feeling like he was in some kind of dream, one that he never wanted to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. All he wanted at that moment was to hold her, kiss her, make love to her, and then do it all over again. He wanted her, all of her, for the rest of his life. But it was too soon for that, for any of that, wasn't it? Her feelings about him now, at the farm, weren't what they were when he was in his own time. She would surely pull away if he tried any of that…wouldn't she? Maybe, with everything else he had changed, her feelings had changed from what they were before. Maybe if he gave in to that urge, maybe she wouldn't turn away from him. Everything he ever wanted was so very close and yet so far. He didn't know what to do. Maybe he was afraid like she said. She must have seen it in his face.

"Don't pull away, Daryl," she whispered. With a jolt, he was reminded of the advice her dream world self had given him. In the dream, she had told him not to hesitate. He focused on her eyes. That unknown emotion was back in her eyes and this time, he was sure it was the same look of love that he had seen in her eyes in the future, when she had kissed him in the prison. That was the moment he listened to the advice Carol had given him in the dream. Consequences be damned.

**_"We both know that life is far too short to wait for happiness to come. Sometimes we just have to seize it and never let it go. Don't hesitate"_**

He closed the distance, his lips claiming hers as he pulled her body to him. He clung to her, kissed her, as if it were the last time he would get the chance. He was sure that she would push him away, ask him what the hell he was doing, and then demand that he leave her and her daughter alone.

So she stunned the hell out of him when she kissed him back, her arms slipping around his neck as she parted her lips for him. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and tasted that familiar taste that was Carol. He groaned, feeling as if this was the best chance he had ever taken. He recalled something from his future.

_"Are you sure about this?" she asked him as they lay together on the couch in the warden's office, "I'd understand if you weren't."_

_He looked at her as if she had grown another head. After she had found him in the hall, had kissed him for the first time, he had kissed her back and they had stumbled into the nearest room: the warden's office. They made out on the couch and he was hesitant to do more. He was unsure, not at all confident in matters like this. He had had sex before, yes, but that had been a quick fuck in the back of a bar and most of the time, he had only done enough to get his dick out and into the right spot. He didn't want that for Carol. His feelings for her were so different, new. He wanted her…no, needed her. He had needed her as bad as he needed air. Never in his life had he needed someone like that and he didn't think that he would ever want anyone like that again._

_"Ain't never felt like this before," he said to her, his voice hoarse and gravelly, "I want ya. Need ya. Never felt that before now," then he was unsure again, "Are ya…d'ya…"_

_She stopped him, gently placing her finger to his lips, "Daryl, I've had feelings for you for a long time. I've wanted this for a very long time."_

_"How long?" he asked, wondering how long he had kept her waiting outside of his inner walls._

_"I think I'd like to say it wasn't until after Hershel's farm, when we were on the road together, but I think then I would be lying," she said thoughtfully, "I think I even had feelings for you when we were on the farm and I just didn't realize it with everything going on."_

Daryl pulled away slightly. She was breathless, her eyes wide and bright as she looked up at him. He could even feel her heartbeat against his chest.

"I want this," he murmured, his lips just inches from hers, "I want you."

He kissed her again, a bit gentler than before, but then she pulled away slightly. Suddenly she looked nervous, trembling slightly beneath his hands.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, gently tilting her face so that she was looking at him. She bit her lip and he resisted the urge to take that lip into his mouth.

"Sorry," she apologized, trying to catch her breath.

"Don't be," he requested, allowing his thumb to gently brush her cheek, "Tell me."

"I just…I don't know…" she struggled and suddenly he remembered her conversation with Jacqui earlier. He swallowed nervously and waited as she continued in a soft whisper of a voice, "Are you really interested in me?"

"Ain't no one else I'm interested in," he told her, "Already said I wanted this."

"Why?" she asked him, "Why me?"

"The hell ya mean?" Daryl asked, frowning as he pulled back to look at her. She looked unsure, yet he could see such longing and hope in her face. It was like she couldn't believe her luck, like he was the damn lottery prize and she had the winning ticket in her hand. He had totally misjudged the extent of her feelings for him. He supposed that even in the future he hadn't seen the full measure of Carol's feelings for him. He suspected that she had hid them for fear of scaring him off. She had known how he was about feelings.

"Of the all the available women, why me? I'm hardly as attractive-"

"Fuck that," he interrupted, "You're fuckin' beautiful inside and out."

"I'm a single mother," she continued, "Sophia…"

_"You ain't my problem! Sophia wasn't mine!" he had screamed._

"I wish she was mine," he whispered before he could stop it. It seemed that this time around, he was doing and saying opposite. She looked stunned at first, but then her face changed.

"Really?"

"Carol, ain't want no one but you," he told her, "I'd walk through hell for you and that girl of yours. Do anythin' for ya."

There were tears in her eyes as she nodded, but she seemed unable to speak. He took a breath and gently thumbed away the tear that did escape.

"This is what I want," he told her again, "but if you don't want it too, then I ain't gonna force ya and the way I feel 'bout you and Soph ain't gonna change, but it's your call. So…are ya…are ya interested in me?" he asked. When he had been eavesdropping on Carol and Jacqui, he had thought that the silence that followed this question then had been torturous, but now it was just unbearable, watching the way she tried to choose her words.

"Jacqui asked me this earlier," Carol admitted, trying to buy herself a little time to organize his thoughts. He wondered if he should admit that he had heard her. She'd probably scold him for listening in, but it would give her a place to start.

"I heard," he said. Her head snapped up to look at him.

"You did?" she squeaked.

"Was moving my tent and I heard her ask ya," he told her, "If ya don't know if ya interested in me or not, it's okay-"

"I am," she cut across him. He thought his damn heart was fixing to beat out of his chest. Suddenly he was the one that couldn't seem to catch his breath.

"You are?" he choked out. Carol nodded and moved to place her hand over his chest. She could probably feel the damn thing pounding against her palm.

"I am," she repeated, "What I said before…that was more about me than you. The only man I've ever been with was Ed-"

"I ain't him," Daryl said firmly.

"I know. Believe me, I do," she assured him. She took a breath and continued, "What I feel for you is so…different than what I felt for him. It's so much stronger and I wasn't sure that it was what I thought it was…"

"That's fair," he replied. It truly was. She was just beginning to realize that she had feelings for him and he was about ten steps ahead of her in that regard. He thought it was kind of funny that their entire relationship had been turned around on account of this time travel thing. Now he was the one who knew what he wanted, like she had been the first time at the prison, and she was the one just figuring it out. She took another shaky breath.

"I'm scared, Daryl," she admitted, "I've been hurt…"

"I ain't gonna hurt ya," he promised, "Die before I let that happen."

Carol closed her eyes and leaned into him. Her kiss was tentative, hesitant, as if wondering if she was allowed to kiss him. He smirked into the kiss. Usually he was the hesitant one in this relationship. He pulled her to him, deepening the kiss as his tongue flicked against her lips. He moaned when he felt them part for him. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring the warm corners he found there. His hands moved from her waist, up until his thumbs caressed the underside of her breasts. His feet were moving towards the tent and he was pulling her with him. She broke the kiss and pulled away to look at him. She looked nervous again.

"I have scars," she whispered. He knew that. He had seen them.

_He could hardly believe that she really had feelings for him and that she had had them since the farm. He shifted their position on the couch in the prison warden's office and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, a far cry from the one they shared before. She deepened the kiss, her tongue moving into his mouth as her hand moved underneath his shirt. He froze. No woman had ever seen him without some form of clothes on. Only one had ever seen him without a shirt, his high school girlfriend who had looked on his scars with pity. Since then, he had vowed to never have a woman look at him like that again._

_"Daryl, it's okay. I know about the scars," she whispered, stilling her hand. He said nothing, chewing on his lip as he looked down at her. Then she moved, sitting up and slipped her hand from his shirt. He panicked, thinking that he had fucked this up already and was looking for an exit when she pulled her top over her head. He went completely still, staring in shock at her half naked form. He had been starting to get hard before, but now there was no doubt that she definitely had his attention. She took his hand and guided it to her chest, just above her right breast. His fingers felt the line of jagged skin. He was confused._

_"I have scars too, Daryl," she said softly. He swallowed and then looked past the fact that she had breasts. Then he noticed the other marks along her torso, scars not so different from his._

_"This one?" he asked, his fingers gliding over the scar on her chest._

_"Kitchen knife," she answered, a faraway look in her eyes as she recalled a painful past, "Early on in our marriage, Ed came home drunk and…"_

_"Sorry. Shouldn't have brought it up," he mumbled._

_"It's okay," she whispered, "The scars…they just show that we've survived."_

Just as he had always been nervous and self-conscious about his scars, she was the same about hers, at least she was at the beginning, before she really channelled that inner strength that made her the warrior he knew she would be.

He kissed her gently, as gently as he had on that prison couch, and then drew back.

"Do you trust me?" he asked. Carol didn't hesitate to nod her head. He pulled back and led her towards the tent, "C'mon," he urged her inside. Once she was inside, he zipped the front and pulled off his shirt.

"Daryl-"

"Look, we ain't gotta do anythin' ya don't wanna," he said, "but I wanted to show ya that I got scars too. Was embarrassed by them for long time. Didn't want anyone to ever see me without a shirt. Little while ago, someone told me that scars are just proof that we survived. Tired of lettin' 'em stop me from livin'," he told her.

Carol regarded him for a moment, her eyes ghosting over the angry marks over his body. He felt a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny, but he overcame that base urge to grab for his shirt. When he felt her fingers reach out and touch the scar over his collarbone, he had to take a calming breath. This was just Carol, the woman he loved and the woman that loved him. He could see her carefully consider his words. Then without warning, she reached and pulled her shirt over her head. As a man, his eyes were immediately drawn to the two perfect mounds hidden by the white bra. Then he looked elsewhere, first at the scar on her neck where Ed had held the knife to her, then to the faint line under her ribcage where Ed had lashed her with a belt, then to the scar from when she had her appendix out, and then to the faint stretch marks along her belly. It was almost like finding old friends. He knew that her back was more heavily scarred from Ed pushing her into a coffee table. His eyes moved up her body and settled on hers. She was still nervous and she was waiting on him to move or say something.

"You're a fuckin' warrior," he told her, moving in to her. He claimed her lips for his own. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She was hardly shy anymore about her body and was responding to him with everything she had. He lay her down on his sleeping bag and tore his mouth away from hers. He kissed a trail along her jawbone and down her neck. He paused on that scar on her neck and gently kissed it. Then he continued on his path, sucking on her nipple through her bra. She arched her back, thrusting her chest to his mouth as he reached behind her to fumble with the clasp. He cursed.

"You're not good at working these, are you?" she asked, reaching back to help him.

"End of the fuckin' world and these fuckin' contraptions are still my biggest problem," he growled in frustration, tossing the bra to the side. She smirked at him, but then moans escaped her lips as he took her naked nipple in his mouth and sucked it to a point. He moved to offer the same attention to her other breast, revelling in the feeling of her fingers raking through his hair and the sound of her soft moans of pleasure. He shifted so that he was supported on his left arm and then let his other hand touch her soft stomach. He paused as he neared to top of her jeans.

"Can I…" he asked for permission and she nodded her consent.

"Yes," she breathed, her voice a little shaky. He unbuttoned her jeans and worked them down her hips. She lay before him in just her underwear. He was raging in his pants. All he wanted to do was take her right then and there, but he resisted. He wanted to make this first time all about her. Their last first time had been all about him and that hadn't been fair to her. He couldn't help but remember his very short performance and he prayed that he lasted longer this time. He leaned over her and brought his lips to her ear.

"You're so fuckin' beautiful," Daryl whispered, causing shivers to shoot through her spine, "Are ya sure this is what ya want?"

"Yes, Daryl," her voice tickled the flesh of his ear. His name on her lips nearly had him coming undone.

"If you want me to stop, all ya have to do is say so," he told her. It would be torture for him if she did and it would take all of his self-control, but he would do it for her. He didn't want her to regret this. He waited until she nodded before he continued, slipping his hand inside her panties. He groaned loudly at the feel of her hot, wet heat on his fingers. She arched into his touch.

"Daryl, please," she gasping. He moved down her body and slipped her panties off. She was completely naked before him and her core was glistening with moistness. He leaned down and put his mouth to work, running his tongue over her opening before taking the tiny ball of nerves into his mouth and sucking.

"Daryl!" she cried out his name as she bucked into him. He couldn't help the grin on his face, but he continued his ministrations with his mouth as he pressed a finger inside her hot, throbbing core. She gasped as he added a second. Then he started to work her, pumping his fingers in and out of her as he sucked on her clit. Her hands went to his hair, twisting it in her long, nimble fingers as she moaned and panted his name. He felt her muscles clench around his fingers as she came. He groaned. He was definitely not going to last as long as he'd like to.

"Daryl," she moaned his name, beckoning him to her. He kissed her mouth, allowing her to taste herself on his lips. Her hands moved from the sleeping bag to his belt.

"I need you," she whispered. He had no argument whatsoever and he watched as she undid his pants and pushed both the jeans and boxers out of the way. He shimmed them down his legs. He nearly came undone when he felt her hand on his shaft, softly stroking him from base to tip. She guided his length to her hot center and once he was lined up, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"Ya okay?" he asked, confirming this was what she wanted.

"Yes," she gasped. He pushed inside her then, groaning loudly against her mouth. She let out her own moan as she adjusted to the length of him. Only when she experimentally moved against him did he start moving in and out of her, slow, purposeful strokes at first.

"More," she moaned into his ear, "Please, Daryl."

Their rhythm sped up as he fulfilled her wishes, moving harder and faster as she writhed beneath him and tried to match his tempo. He could feel that he wasn't going to last, but then he felt her walls clamp around him. She called out his name as her nails dug into his back. He let go and had his release as she came.

He collapsed on top of her, panting and out of breath. He felt her breath on his neck and he knew that she was as spent as he was. He found her lips again, but he felt moisture on her cheeks.

"Y'alright?" he asked, concerned at seeing tears on her cheeks, "Didn't hurt ya, did I?"

She shook her head, "No. Sorry. I just…that was…no one ever took the time to…it was incredible."

He chuckled and then kissed her tears away, "It was fuckin' incredible," he agreed, rolling over onto his back and pulling her to him. Carol snuggled into his chest, a content smile on her face and it thrilled him that he was the reason that smile was on her face. He supposed he did have an unfair advantage in that he knew exactly what to do to send her over the edge, but he knew that he wouldn't mind it as she figured out all over again where to touch him.

"I'm glad I came out here," she admitted, kissing his chest.

"Glad ya did too," he agreed, "I really didn't wantcha to, but now I'm real glad ya came back."

She looked back up at him, her short hair tickling his shoulder as she did so, and frowned, "Why?"

"'Cause I can be a real asshole when I'm upset," he told her, "Didn't wanna do or say anythin' that could hurt ya."

"You definitely didn't," she assured him, "Actually…and don't get me wrong because this is gonna come out sounding strange, but it was a bit reassuring to see you upset. It shows you're human. Real."

"Real?" he wondered, crinkling his brow in confusion. Last he checked he was pretty damn real.

"I dunno," she sighed, blushing a little, "It's like you've got this…larger than life thing going on. I mean, you always seem to know what to do or say. It's nice to know that you're human too."

"Definitely human," Daryl assured her, though he would try to check his actions now. He didn't want to come off as an arrogant prick.

"That's all I want," she told him, placing a kiss on his chest. He tilted her lips to his, kissing her slowly and lazily. A long howl from outside made her jump. He chuckled as more yips and howls filled the night.

"Coyotes," he explained, "Must be on the trail of somethin' out in the woods."

A frown crossed her face, "I hate that sound. Sophia does too," she told him, biting her lip, "She was asleep when I left her. I hope she still is."

Daryl frowned too. He had been hoping to wake up next to her in the morning, but he had momentarily forgotten that Sophia was alone in the camp and would probably be pretty panicked if she woke and her mother wasn't there. He reached for their clothes and passed hers to her, "Get dressed. I'll walk ya back to camp."

"You don't have to," she told him, pulling on her shirt, "I can make it back by mys-"

"Ain't lettin' ya walk 'round in the dark by yourself," he refused, buttoning his pants. He pulled his shirt over his head and unzipped the tent, stepping out into the cool night air. He waited until she stepped out next to him. Then he walked her back, a little unsure if he should reach for her hand, but then he went for it. Well, that was backwards. Usually you're supposed to hold hands _before_ you have sex.

"You sure ended up far away," Carol commented as they walked towards the tents.

"Woulda been farther if the damn tent pole didn't snap," Daryl told her, chuckling.

"You know you didn't have to move," she said, "It's really not fair for you to go just because of Shane."

"Ah, need a little distance from the group," he shrugged.

"You know, a lot of them do feel bad about what happened," Carol told him.

"I guess," Daryl shrugged, not really feeling like talking about it further as they approached her tent. He supposed that this was where he ought to kiss her goodnight, another thing that he ought to have done before he saw her naked. She turned to him and looked him in the eyes. Her blues sparkled in the moonlight and the pale beams gave her skin a bluish glow. She was beautiful. She placed her hand on his chest above his heart. She could probably feel it beating in his chest.

"I do want this, you know. Us," she stated. The words made him grin.

"Then I'm all yours 'cause I want this too," he replied. He leaned in to kiss her, slowly and purposefully. They broke apart.

"Do you want me to bring you breakfast?" she asked.

"Probably sleep right through breakfast. Weren't lyin' when I said that I slept like shit last night," he told her. He bit his lip, not wanting to refuse her, he added, "Ya wanna have dinner with me, though? You and Soph?"

"We'd love to," she replied, smiling and pressing another kiss to his lips, "Goodnight," she whispered.

"Sleep well," he told her, pecking her lips again before she turned to enter her tent. Neither of them were aware of the fact that a twelve-year-old girl wasn't completely asleep and had heard the exchange between her mother and the hunter.

**TBC**

**So, I've been waiting for this one for a while. Carol's definitely stronger now than she was in the other timeline, standing up to him, but still self-conscious. That was a difficult mix to convey, so hopefully I did that justice. I really wanted Daryl to want to be tender for her. It's not everyday that you get the chance to make things better for the one you love. I love the lyrics of that Goo Goo Dolls song.**

**Next chapter: Rick and Daryl talk and Sophia indirectly opens up a can of worms for her mother.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	18. The Best Day

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful support! Everyone seems excited about Carol and Daryl finally being together. Here's something sweet seeing as how sweetness is going to be rarer and rarer as they move forward in the apocalypse.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 17: The Best Day**

_In the circles I've been running,  
I've covered many miles,  
And I could search forever for what's right before my eyes,  
Just when I thought I'd found it,  
It was nothing like I'd planned,  
When I got my heart around it, it slipped right through my hands,  
Here with you I feel it,  
I close my eyes and see it,_

In a midnight talk, in a morning kiss,  
When I'm in your arms, that's where it is,  
When we're tangled up and can't resist,  
When we feel that rush, that's where it is,  
That's where it is**  
…Carrie Underwood – That's Where It Is**

* * *

**_A loud, obnoxious wolf-whistle caused Daryl to jolt to his feet. He was in the dream world again and his brother was standing before him with a big, shit-eating grin on his face._**

**_"What the fuck, Merle?" Daryl demanded. Merle was laughing._**

**_"I'm just relieved as hell, Lil' Brother. I mean for a long ass time I wondered if ya even knew what a dick was for," Merle chortled. Daryl felt a blush creeping onto his neck._**

**_"Shut up, Merle!"_**

**_His older brother clapped him on the shoulder and laughed harder, "Damn, Brother, I'm just glad ya know how to use it. Hell, even if ya did it like some pansy ass, she still seemed to enjoy it. I wonder-"_**

**_"You were fuckin' watching me? You could see that?" Daryl demanded, horrified at the thought of his brother watching him have sex._**

**_"Oh, don't worry so much Darylina," Merle brushed it off, "I didn't look when you was gettin' naked."_**

**_It did nothing to reassure Daryl, who was now entertaining ways to have sex in which Carol could keep her clothes on, "Ya shouldn't be lookin' at all! Dammit, Merle, ya have no right to be watchin' that!" Daryl protested, "Even if ya are dead, there's still gotta be somethin' better for ya to do than watchin' me and Carol!"_**

**_"Ah, relax, Darylina. Don't getcha panties in a twist," Merle eased up, "I just wanted to congratulate ya on finially usin' it. Now let's talk business. Barksdale-"_**

**_"Barksdale ain't happenin' if ya can't keep ya damn eyes off of me and Carol!" Daryl snapped. Merle held up his hands in defence and the moron even had the sense to look a little concerned._**

**_"Nah, now, c'mon, Baby Brother! Didn't mean nothin' by it," Merle placated him._**

**_"Give me your word," Daryl demanded, "Say ya ain't gonna peak at me and Carol like some pervert peepin' tom or I ain't doin' ya no favour!"_**

**_"Alright! Alright!" Merle protested, "Hell, Brother, I won't watch when you and your girl are bumpin' uglies. Swear to it."_**

**_"That's better," Daryl said, nodding, "So what the hell d'ya wanna tell me 'bout Barksdale?"_**

**_"Just that ya got a week. On the mornin' of the seventh day, ya best be off nice and early like. Ya best get there as soon as ya can."_**

**_"Why?" Daryl asked, frowning, "Merle-"_**

**_But like before, his brother was fading into the white background._**

When Daryl awoke the next morning, he was in a far better mood than he had been the day before. A part of him didn't quite believe that Carol had actually come to his tent last night and that he had made love to her, but the images from the night before were seared into his brain and he was damn sure that they weren't memories of the future. He had taken a chance the night before, a big one, and he could only imagine how it could change life as he knew it. He and Carol weren't supposed to get together until their second summer at the prison, two years into the future. Then they would spend roughly a year together before it would brutally be cut short.

Now it was different. They had had sex last night. They had moved their relationship to the next level so much sooner. Now, they would have three years together before that day, and if he played his cards right, they would hopefully have longer. They had been given a second chance and now they were together. They had time, time that he wasn't going to waste.

"Please don't let this bite me in the ass," he prayed to whatever deity that had decided to throw him into the past. He dressed and stepped outside, examining his sad little campsite. A couple logs were thrown about and the sad excuses for arrows that he had tried to whittle in his frustrated state were utterly and completely useless. If he was going to Barksdale, though, he would need more arrows. He somehow doubted that his big brother would make this an easy trip for him. Where Merle was concerned, things were usually about ten times more complicated than they needed to be.

He sat down near his tent, noticing that there was a granola bar and an apple sitting near the opening. He smiled. That woman was always taking care of him. He tore into his provisions and glanced to the main camp, but found it was deserted. Concerned, he stood and noticed that a good part of the group were assembled at the farm house. He saw Rick start back to the camp. Good, Daryl thought, the sheriff had made a successful run. No doubt Randall was getting his leg sewn up in the shed right now. That was probably why everyone was gathered at the house. Satisfied that everyone was taken care of, he set to work on those arrows. He was focused on his task, carefully and slowly running the knife over some of the sticks he had grabbed the night before.

"Daryl," a voice called him. He looked up to see Rick standing there in his campsite.

"See you're back," Daryl observed, not bothering to get up when Rick sat down on a stump across from him.

"See you've moved," Rick countered, "'Cause of Shane?"

"What, ya here to apologize for him again?" Daryl wondered, examining the tip of the arrow.

"I've already done enough apologizing on his behalf to Hershel," Rick snorted bitterly, "I think the only reason we're still allowed on this farm is 'cause Hershel came to understand how dangerous the walkers are. He also said that he ought to focus on the living instead of the dead like you said."

"Glad I could help," Daryl shrugged.

"Shane went off the deep end yesterday," Rick continued, sighing, "He ran his mouth and said some pretty harsh things, but that don't mean that you have to leave."

"Ain't leavin'," Daryl assured him, "Just…just needed to get some distance is all. Give the group some space."

Rick frowned slightly and said, "You're a part of our group, Daryl. I'm sure if you explained what happened yesterday, the group would understand. I think they're all a bit confused about yesterday, wondering where you were and stuff."

"Was with Carol and Sophia," Daryl answered, looking up at the sheriff now, "Wanted to make 'em feel better 'bout the shit Shane said. Then the shootin' and yellin' started and I didn't want 'em over there and I sure as hell weren't gonna leave 'em alone."

"That seems fair enough," Rick replied, "I'm sure the others wouldn't fault you for that. I'm sure they'd like to hear it, actually. You didn't get a chance yesterday to tell your side of it 'cause you were too busy defending yourself."

At this Daryl chewed the inside of his cheek, remembering some of the things he had said to defend himself, including the bit about Rick's wife, "Uh, 'bout that…sorry I brought Lori into it."

Rick heaved a sigh and looked down at his hands. He shook his head and said, "Don't be. That's the reality of it. Lori and Shane thought I was dead. Shane got it in his head that he loves her and then when I got back, we all got pulled into this damn triangle and now Lori's pregnant."

"Ya know Shane ain't right, don't ya?" Daryl asked, "Somethin' like that could get dangerous."

"I know," Rick admitted, "but he's still my friend. I gotta talk to him, give him a chance to snap out of it. You are right though. The Shane I know is starting to disappear. He's more hostile, violent. Actually, when I got back, some of the group even thought that he might try to harm you."

"I'd like to see him try," Daryl snorted, "Who said that?"

He figured maybe Carol was worrying about him, so he was shocked as hell when Rick answered.

"Dale."

"Dale?" Daryl asked, blinking.

"Dale ain't a big fan of Shane. He told me that Shane threatened him earlier yesterday about the bag of guns. He also told me that last night, when Shane and Lori got back to the farm after her accident, Lori said that she had asked you to go for her, but you refused," Rick explained. Daryl cringed.

"Sorry 'bout that, Man," he apologized, "Was in no fit state last night."

"I understand," Rick said fairly, "To be honest, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't have gone either after the fight yesterday. Anyways, I guess when Shane heard that, he was fixin' to come out here and confront you about it."

"So ya sayin' I oughta expect a fight?" Daryl asked. Jesus, would the bullshit ever end?

"I wouldn't be surprised," Rick said tiredly, "I'll try my best to keep a buffer, but it'd be best to avoid him altogether."

"Thanks for the warning," Daryl said, picking up another stick to start whittling.

"Speakin' of warnings, there's somethin' you ought to know," Rick added, "Last night, Hershel, Glenn, and I got into a firefight with a couple guys at the bar in town. They drew on us and we fought back. Walkers came and as we all tried to escape, one of their guys was injured. They left him for dead so we brought him back to the farm."

Daryl shook his head. Randall was now on the farm.

"Pickin' up strays huh? This guy dangerous?" he asked, even though he well knew that Randall was.

"Could be," Rick admitted, "Right now, the plan is to get him on his feet. Then we'll take him out and leave him somewhere to fend for himself. That way, we don't need to deal with him."

"That wise?" Daryl asked, knowing that the trip eighteen miles out would prove to be a fruitless endeavour and that it would only lead to Shane and Rick beating the shit out of each other. Then again, it would let tensions rise between the two and set into motion the events to cause Shane's death. Daryl was sorely tempted to let those events play out. Shane was getting dangerous and on Daryl's nerves.

"Time will tell, right?" Rick shrugged, getting to his feet now, "Listen, I'm gonna take Shane down near the cars, maybe do a little servicing on the vehicles. Maybe I can calm him down some. While we're gone, you might want to take a walk into camp and explain your side of it. Amy and Andrea took the kids out fishin' this morning in the pond so they're gonna be frying up fish later on. Be nice if you were part of it. Last thing I want is for people to start believing what Shane said about you."

Daryl stood too, frowning a little, "Sure. I'll do that, but…why are ya doin' it?"

Rick chuckled, "'Cause even if the group is unsure of you right now, they still trust you more than Shane. To be honest, I do too, right now. If, god forbid, people start takin' sides, I'd prefer to have you on mine," he explained, holding out a hand.

"Alright then," Daryl nodded, shaking the man's hand. Rick smiled.

"Give me a couple minutes to get Shane out of there. Then go do what you have to do," he advised. Daryl watched Rick go, a little perplexed by the conversation, but it did feel good knowing that Rick was in his corner. Rick was a solid, loyal guy. He was as much of a brother to Daryl as Merle.

Daryl waited for Rick to lead Shane away from the main camp and then he started towards it, feeling a little nervous. Despite what Rick said about the group understanding, Daryl was a little unsure. They had surprised him yesterday with their silence and he was unsure of their possible reactions today. As he neared the camp, he noticed Dale up on the RV, keeping watch. Daryl nodded and kept walking. That was strange to think of too, that Dale was asking Rick to look out for Daryl. He stopped on the outskirts of camp and watched the group members. Glenn, T-Dog, and Sophia were off a ways, showing Carl and Maggie some of the defence moves that Daryl had shown them. It was quickly morphing into a game of tag, however, and Daryl was pleased to see the grin on Sophia's face. She was definitely having a better day. He glanced at the occupants of the camp. Carol, Lori, and Jacqui were doing some laundry and a couple feet away, Amy and Andrea were gutting the fish that they caught on a makeshift plywood table. He had to admit that the sisters did know their way around a fishing rod.

His eyes landed on Carol as she scrubbed at some dirty shirt. She was smiling at something Jacqui was saying, not that it was unusual, but there was something about the way she held herself today that was different. She seemed relaxed, comfortable. He wondered if that's how he looked to the others. He certainly felt at ease, even with Shane's bullshit and news of Randall. For the first time since the day he was thrown into the past, he felt calm, like everything had just fallen into place. He supposed that it had when the woman he loved fell into his arms last night. He smiled and moved to make himself known when Amy spoke.

"So, Carol, have anything to tell us?" the younger blond questioned, a smirk on her face. Ugh, Daryl knew that smirk. What was that little pest up to?

"Uh…what?" Carol asked, confused.

"Had a nice chat with Sophia while we were showing the kids how to fish. Said she saw something interesting last night," Amy said casually, throwing a severed fish head into a waste bucket. Daryl felt a blush creep up his neck. They had thought the kid was asleep. He looked to Carol and noticed that her hands had stilled in the laundry water.

"I didn't hear that," Andrea said, frowning.

"You were helping Carl take his fish off the hook," Amy dismissed her sister before turning back to the conversation at hand, "Anyways, Sophia said she woke up in the middle of the night and you were outside."

"And the big deal is…" Lori questioned, chuckling at the look on gleeful look on Amy's face.

"Well, according to Sophia, Carol was not alone outside of the tent," Amy stated. As she no doubt predicted, all eyes found Carol, who was now very focused on the laundry.

"Who?" Lori asked, but Jacqui's face showed some recognition in regards to Carol's late night companion. Daryl noticed as the dark-skinned woman gently squeezed Carol's arm. Andrea decided on reining her sister in a little.

"What are we, twelve?" Andrea scoffed, "Less talking, more cutting, Sis," the older sister admonished, grabbing a fish and slapping it in front of Amy, who stabbed one knife through the fish head to hold it onto the plywood and then used another knife to start filleting it. Daryl had to admire that she was trying to make things work with one arm.

"Give me a break!" Amy protested as she cut, "The world ended and TV and Grey's Anatomy ended with it. I need some kind of entertainment."

"And how is this remotely entertaining?" Andrea asked, rolling her eyes. She looked over at Carol, "Sorry. When she gets bored, she starts making something out of nothing."

"What?" Amy shrugged, feigning innocence, "Honestly, I'm glad he finally did something about his little crush. He was getting a little pathetic with all the staring and the moon eyes."

Daryl clenched his jaw. Oh, he had plans for Amy Harrison and most of them involved laps and suicide sprints.

"Who?" Lori demanded and now even Andrea looked on with mild interest. Carol clamped her mouth shut as she moved to grab some more dirty clothes into the wash bucket. Daryl noticed a hint of red creeping up her neck.

"Carol, you ought to say something," Amy pleaded, using her best puppy dog eyes, "If anyone deserves a guy like that, it's you and you deserve to yell it from the rooftops."

Carol heaved a sigh, perhaps realizing that even if she denied Amy, she would still have to contend with the scrutiny of the other women. Still, Daryl wondered if she would actually do it, admit to the others that they were together. He was okay either way, but he was still curious.

"I was with Daryl last night," Carol admitted. Daryl was sure that Lori and Andrea were now suffering from whiplash with the way their heads snapped towards Carol. Amy grinned and Jacqui smiled knowingly.

"You and Daryl?" Andrea spluttered, "Like…how…"

"Sophia said they kissed," Amy supplied.

"I take it he enjoyed the ice?" Jacqui asked, patting Carol on the shoulder. Carol gave her friend an appreciative glance.

"Guess so," Carol shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips, adding a little more soap to the wash.

"What ice?" Amy asked.

"After Shane hit him, I took him some ice," Carol replied a little evasively.

"And then what? He kissed you to say thanks?" Amy asked, "'Atta boy."

"Not exactly," Carol chuckled, smiling a secret smile that Daryl was sure was on account of him.

"How exactly?" Andrea asked.

"I would like to know if you're up to telling it, Honey," Jacqui said gently.

"He was upset about earlier," Carol said after a minute, choosing her words carefully, "We talked, he vented a little, and then we kissed. It was unexpected, but really, really good."

Daryl couldn't help but feel a bit of masculine pride at that.

"So are you two a thing now?" Andrea and Amy asked at the same time. The sisters laughed at each other and then looked to Carol for confirmation.

"Yeah. Yeah, we are," Carol confirmed. Daryl cringed at the excited girlish squeals pealing out of the women. Yeesh, he really needed to stop listening to this girly shit. He was about to make his presence known when Lori piped up.

"You think that's a good idea?" Lori wondered. Daryl paused.

"What do you mean?" Carol asked, and now the other women had gone quiet.

"Well, he seems like he has a bit of a temper, doesn't he?" Lori asked, "He did take the first swing yesterday."

"He's a good man, Lori," Carol defended, "He had every right to get upset yesterday. I'd imagine you would too if you were being yelled at and blamed like that."

"While I don't agree with the way Shane went about it, he did have a point," Lori said, "Daryl wasn't around when we needed him at the barn and he certainly didn't help me out last night."

"Daryl was with Carol and Sophia during the barn shootout," Jacqui jumped in, "He stayed with them to take care of them."

"Still, he has that temper and he can be a bit unreliable-"

"He's always been there when I've needed him," Carol shot at Lori, "And what about all of the times Daryl has come through for this group? How can you condemn him for something like the barn when he wasn't the reason it was opened in the first place? How can you blame him for not helping you when you helped Shane blame him yesterday?" she demanded, "Are you really going to ignore all the good he's done based on two minor offences or does he only get recognition when he does something for you?"

Everyone was rendered speechless as Carol defended her man. Even Daryl was stunned at the level of devotion she showed him. It was all he could do not to walk over there, throw her over his shoulder, and take her back to his tent so that he could ravage her.

"That isn't what I meant-" Lori spluttered, but it was Amy that put the conversation to bed. Literally.

"So I bet you aren't going to be missing that vibrator anymore, Carol," Amy spoke up, effectively changing the conversation. Daryl's head snapped up and his eyes widened. Vibrator?

"Yeah," Andrea agreed, steering the conversation away from the tension that was building between Lori and Carol, "I bet Daryl is probably pretty good in bed. Probably very animalistic. Wild. You're a lucky woman, Carol."

At this, both Daryl and Carol went crimson.

"I bet he's really intense. Focused," Amy speculated, "And that's a good thing. I was dating this guy, Joey, in my sophomore year who actually stopped in the middle of it to go watch Family Guy with his roommate."

"EW!" Andrea protested, cringing at her younger sister, "I'd rather just pretend you don't even know what sex is, thanks!"

Amy's response was lost on Daryl, who was watching the way Carol blushed. He knew that she was a private person and going into detail about their intimate activities was something that both of them would rather avoid. He started whistling as he strolled into camp. He was satisfied when the women jumped. Lori in particular avoided his gaze, but the Jacqui was smiling kindly and the blond sisters were smirking a little.

"Hello, Daryl," Jacqui greeted kindly, "Come to borrow a cup of sugar, Honey?" she asked. Daryl had to admit that she was good at diffusing tension. He smiled and caught Carol's eye. She smiled back, but her brow was knitted as if she was trying to work something out.

"Rick suggested I oughta come over," Daryl told the truth, "Talk 'bout yesterday."

"Carol told us all about yesterday," Andrea said, and then added, "We know where you were when the barn shootout happened. It's sweet that you wanted to stay with Carol and Sophia."

"And we're sorry about not saying anything," Amy added, "I felt like an asshole for not sticking up for you after all you've done for me."

"Jesus. I guess the kid can curse," Daryl observed with a chuckle.

"Pfft. You're rubbing off on me," Amy scoffed, "Anything I can do to make it up to you?" she asked. Daryl smirked.

"Ya can stay outta my damn love life for starters," Daryl suggested. The four other women had the sense to look guilty about getting caught. Carol looked like she had figured out whatever she had been thinking on and now looked at him with a knowing smile.

"You heard that?" Amy asked weakly.

"Well, let's just say I feel bad for your boy Joey," Daryl replied, smirking, "Maybe we'll come across someone who has a longer attention span for ya later on."

Amy turned crimson and turned back to the fish that was waiting to be filleted.

"Sorry," Andrea apologized, smirking as she turned back to her own fish. Daryl raised his eyes to meet Carol's. Jacqui noticed the exchange and smiled, gently pushing Carol in his direction.

"Go on, Honey. We've got the washin'," she said kindly. Daryl ignored a playful jeer from Amy as he led Carol towards the tents.

"How long have you been standing there?" Carol wondered as she walked with him.

"Long enough to know that we need to find Amy a TV," Daryl replied. Carol cringed.

"Sorry."

"Ain't got nothin' to be sorry for," Daryl assured her, "'Sides it's kinda nice havin' ya in my corner. I like ya with ya claws out."

"I know Lori was just concerned, but it was the way she said it," Carol explained, smiling a little as she realized that he was really okay with what he heard, "I think you and I might have to talk about your eavesdropping habit."

"Don't worry 'bout me. Next time I hear ya hens cluckin', I'm runnin' in the other direction," he stated firmly, making her laugh.

"We do need to talk to my daughter, though," she sighed, "I really didn't know that she was awake last night."

"Was gonna happen eventually," Daryl shrugged, "I guess I oughta talk to the group 'bout yesterday while Rick is distractin' Shane too. What d'ya wanna say to Soph?"

"She probably heard a lot of it last night," Carol admitted, stopping to watch as Sophia laughed as she dodged Glenn's walker attack, "Hopefully that's the reason she's been so smiley this morning."

"Well, ya did say she liked me…said I was superman or something'," Daryl remembered, letting his fingers find hers. Carol laughed.

"Yes, she does like you," she confirmed, waiting until Sophia was caught before she called her daughter to them. Sophia smiled and ran towards them. Daryl noticed the way the girl's warm hazel eyes glanced down at their joined hands and the grin that spread across her lips.

"Hi Mom. Hi Daryl," Sophia greeted, her eyes bright.

"Hey, Rabbit. Nice moves," Daryl told her, watching as her grin grew wider. Carol reached forward and smoothed out Sophia's tangles of blond hair.

"Soph, we wanted to talk to you," Carol said.

"Okay. About what?" Sophia played dumb, but her eyes flicked back to their joined hands.

"About what you heard last night," Carol clarified. Daryl smirked as a guilty look crossed Sophia's face.

"Oh," Sophia toed the ground with her shoe, but her eyes glanced again to their hands, "So…are you dating now?"

Dating seemed like an odd term at the end of the world.

"Daryl and I are together, yes," Carol answered her daughter.

"That alright with you, Kid?" Daryl asked, even though he knew that Sophia was plenty fine with it.

"Yeah," she nodded, grinning.

"I'm glad," Carol said, "but next time, we would appreciate it if you would talk to us first if you hear something like that."

"Oh," Sophia squeaked, cringing.

"Or at least don't tell Amy," Daryl amended, "Girl couldn't keep her trap shut if her life depended on it."

"Okay. Sorry," Sophia promised, glancing over as Carl called her name, "Can I go over and play tag again?"

"Go on," Carol permitted. Sophia quickly hugged her mother and then even quickly hugged Daryl before running to join her friend. Daryl was caught off guard, blushing a little. Carol smiled up at him.

"I told you she liked you."

"If only the rest of the group was that easy," Daryl muttered.

"Well, now it's your turn," Carol reminded him, leaning up to peck his lips. He held her there before she could pull away, deepening the kiss.

A loud, obnoxious wolf-whistle broke them apart and for a second, Daryl looked wildly for Merle, but laughter from the grass revealed that T-Dog had caught sight of the couple. Glenn, Maggie, Carl, and Sophia were laughing. Amy, Andrea, and Jacqui were laughing behind them. Daryl glanced down at Carol's face, which was starting to redden.

"You would think these people'd have somethin' better to do," Daryl growled, kissing her quickly before leading her towards the center of camp. The group followed and Daryl took his opportunity to explain where he had been when the barn incident went down.

"Can't fault you for taking care of yours," T-Dog stated after Daryl had finished his explanation, "I'm sorry I didn't back you up, Man," he said, offering Daryl his hand. Daryl shook it, smiling at the thought of Carol and Sophia being his.

"It is good to know that you weren't abandoning us like Shane said," Glenn added.

"I don't know why you listened to him in the first place," Maggie huffed from beside the Korean, "I don't know why my dad is even letting him stay on the farm."

"The barn was a danger, though, Maggie," Lori said, "Even you must recognize that."

"I do," Maggie allowed, "but what he did…it was wrong. He completely shattered my dad and Beth."

"I agree with ya," Daryl said, "Barn needed to be cleared, but there had to be a better way to go 'bout it," he said, glancing down at Sophia, once again thankful that she had not been anywhere near that barn.

"Better way or not, the fact still remains that Shane is dangerous," Dale stated, coming off of the RV to stand beside Amy and Andrea. One again, Daryl was reminded that Dale was concerned about Shane.

"Rick's plannin' on talkin' to him," Daryl explained, shrugging his shoulders, "Give him a chance to cool down."

"And how do you feel about that, Son?" Dale asked. Daryl looked at the old man and then he swept his eyes over the rest. They were all very invested in what Daryl thought of the situation and Daryl began to realize just how wrong he had been about their inaction the day before. It wasn't that they blamed him (well, maybe Lori was the exception to that, but he didn't really care about what she thought), but that they were really confused about what had happened and Shane had scared them into silence, first with unleashing walkers on them and then with his attack on Daryl.

"Rick likes to give people chances," Daryl said, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to do what Rick said and force people to choose sides, "'Til Rick decides either way, it's probably best not to start any arguments with Shane. Be social with him, but if somethin' don't feel right, get out of there and talk to Rick."

"What about you?" Andrea asked, "It's no secret that the guy hates you."

"Might be best if I stick to my piece of paradise," Daryl admitted, nodding out to his camp, "Don't want anyone gettin' caught in the crosshairs if he decides to tangle with me."

"But you're all alone out there," Carol said, frowning up at him.

"I'll be fine," he assured her, "Won't say 'no' to visitors, of course," and at Amy's mischievous smirk, he pointed a finger at the younger blond, "Not a damn word, Smiley."

As it turned out, dinner would not be spent at Daryl's camp, but in the Greene house. Amy and Andrea had offered up some of their catch to Maggie and Patricia, who then invited them all to have dinner in the house. They couldn't all fit inside the dining room, so some people had decided to eat outside or in the living room. Laughter filled the house and it was hard to get any conversation in. Shane, at Rick's encouragement, opted to pretend that Daryl didn't exist, which suited both men just fine. Daryl had been planning on taking his plate outside, but Hershel had stopped him.

"Daryl, you're a man I want at my table," the old farmer said kindly. Daryl did not miss the way Hershel had denied Shane earlier, telling the man that he ought to go eat in the living room, and was a little surprised at the declaration. Carol took his hand under the table and smiled at him. She looked proud to be sitting there with him, grasping his hand. No woman had ever looked at him that way before she came into his life. Just knowing that she thought he was something so damn special had his chest threatening to explode. Hershel stood at the head of the table to raise his glass in a toast, "To the living."

After dinner, he found himself in the main camp, listening to the group chatter and watching as Sophia and Carl giggled with each other. It took a second to realize that he was content, more so than he had ever been in his life, including the future. Yes, he had been tamed and relaxed by Carol's presence in his life in the future, but at the prison, they were always worried about what was coming for them, how they would ration food, for how long the fences would hold, and about a million other things. Now, in the past, Daryl had the woman he loved at his side, he knew where his next meal was coming from, and he was safe in the knowledge that they had a good solid week left at the farm. He knew that he and his family were completely safe, at least for the moment, and he allowed himself relax and enjoy his time in the past, revelling in the happy laughter and soft touches Carol gave him as she absently played her fingers over the skin on his arm as she listened to something Jacqui and T-Dog were saying. Accepting her touch now was as natural as breathing.

He was nowhere near as comfortable when Sophia hugged him goodnight, but he would bear it until it did start to feel comfortable. Her smiles meant just as much to him as her mother's did.

"This was the best day," Sophia yawned as she settled back into her sleeping bag. And later in his tent, after Soph had fallen asleep in hers, and as he pulled Carol into his arms as they both came down from the high of their lovemaking, Daryl couldn't help but agree with the girl.

"You know, Soph was right," he told her later as he walked her back to the main camp, "This really was the best day I've had in I don't even know how long."

"Me too," Carol agreed, "I wish they could all stay like this."

**TBC**

**Well, Daryl's definitely seizing that happiness. I've been looking forward to the Merle part of this chapter for a while. Also, I like the way that the conversation between the women played out.**

**Next chapter: Daryl's peaceful life at the farm hits a Merle-shaped bump and he reveals something to Carol.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	19. Whipped

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the wonderful support! There seems to be quite a bit of excitement for Daryl's trip, but you just need to wait a couple more chapters. Enjoy!**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 18:Whipped**

_And it's like, every time I turn around  
I fall in love and find my heart face down and  
Where it lands is where it should  
This time it's like  
The two of us should probably start to fight  
Coz something's gotta go wrong  
Coz I'm feeling way too damn good, oh  
Feelin' way too damn good  
_**…Nickelback – Feelin' Way Too Damn Good**

* * *

**_"Ya got three days, brother," Merle stated. Daryl groaned._**

**_"Dammit, Merle, can we quit with the damn countdown?" he complained. Every night, he had been dreaming of the white dream world and every time, Merle would faithfully tell Daryl how many days he had left before he had to drive into whatever shit storm his brother had concocted in Barksdale._**

**_"Just remindin' ya, Boy," Merle shrugged, "Ain't got much time left. And ya is pussywhipped. Figured ya oughta be askin' for permission to head off."_**

**_"I'm a grown ass man, Merle. Ain't pussywhipped," Daryl said crossly. Merle chuckled._**

**_"Boy, ya look up 'pussywhipped' in a dictionary and ya gonna see your ugly mug starin' up at ya," he chortled._**

**_"Don't need to ask Carol for permission," Daryl protested. His brother burst out laughing._**

**_"Ah, Darylina, ya got a lot to learn 'bout women."_**

Daryl groaned as he stretched out. He sat up in his tent and dressed slowly, frowning as he thought of his dumbass brother's suggestion for getting permission. Did he really need Carol's blessing before he went off? He never did before in the future. All he had to do was tell her where he was off to, when he'd be back, and then he went. Merle didn't know shit. He shook his head. Daryl's new four-day-old relationship with Carol was longer than any relationship Merle had ever had in his whole life. Yeah, Merle didn't know shit.

He went outside and grabbed a can of whatever Carol had brought him the night before and began cooking it.

They had established something of a routine these last four days, one that Daryl enjoyed very much. He would cook breakfast and during that time, Carol and Sophia would walk over to share with him any rare breakfast treats that the rest of the group had in camp. Then they would meet the rest of the group in the middle of the field where he had resumed training duties. Today, they would be working on fighting multiple walkers in pairs. The group was eager to learn and the two young kids thought it was great fun to watch the adults take each other down. After training, they would break for lunch, which he would eat with the others in the main camp. Shane had taken to pretending that Daryl didn't exist, which suited Daryl just fine. It was easy to ignore the dirty looks and rude gestures. After lunch, the group would scatter and perform various chores. Daryl usually went hunting, but if he didn't, he usually ended up whittling bolts for his bow. Somehow this activity usually ended with him teaching Carl and Sophia about knives. Then he would have dinner with the group. He would sit with them for a while, waiting while Carol put Sophia to bed, and then he and Carol would walk to his tent. She would be carrying some form of canned food for his breakfast the next day as they walked. They would talk by the small fire and then he would take her into the tent and they would make love. After, they would dress and he would walk her back to her tent and kiss her goodnight.

Daryl was happy with this routine and he was very reluctant to break it for his trip to Barksdale, but apparently there was something there that would eventually save his brother, so in his mind, it was worth it. He was cooking up some beans when his girls walked over, Carol carrying a plate of eggs and homemade hash-browns for him. He would definitely be missing the farm's produce when they had to go. There was also a cup of coffee in her hand as Sophia carried their plates.

"Mornin' ladies," he greeted, accepting his plate from Carol with a kiss. As usual, Sophia smirked during this morning ritual. The kid adored him, that much was plain already, but with the revelation of Daryl and Carol's relationship, Sophia's shy, guarded affection was replaced with wide smiles and even a few hugs for him, which he was slowly becoming accustomed to.

"How was your night?" Carol asked, settling in her spot beside him on the log as she dug into her breakfast.

"Weren't as restful as I hoped," he grumbled, yawning a little. Carol hid a smile from Sophia, knowing she was the reason he was tired. Last night, she had stayed with him a little later than normal, the two of them going for a second round before she left. She had initiated it last night, taking his hand and guiding it up her shirt as they sat outside by the fire. He had been a little shocked (but oh so turned on) because during the three previous nights, she had let him take the lead. He willed away the image of her as she moved above him inside the tent, naked and blushing, not used to being on top. The last thing he needed was to jump Carol in front of her kid.

"Are you still gonna show us how to work together to kill walkers, Daryl?" Sophia asked earnestly.

"That's the plan, Kid," Daryl confirmed.

"Can me and Carl be partners?" Sophia asked. Carol smiled and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Ya know, Rabbit, for him not bein' ya boyfriend and all, ya sure do spend a lot of time with the boy," he spoke, shovelling some eggs in his mouth.

"Daryl!" Sophia protested, her face turning red, "Mom, make him stop!"

"He's just teasing you, Soph," Carol said gently, laughing. Daryl smiled. He had noticed, with some pride and satisfaction, that Carol laughed and smiled more in the last four days than in all the time he had been in the past. He was the reason she smiled these days, well, him and Soph, who wouldn't be alive if he hadn't had this opportunity to go back in time. He couldn't control himself. He let his empty plate drop to the ground with a clatter and pulled her face to his. She tasted like coffee as she kissed him.

"Do you have to do that while I'm eating?" Sophia groaned, forcing him to stop kissing her mother. He pulled away with a huff, but that half-smirk was on his face. This was perfect, even with the kid getting in the way. He wondered then how he would approach the subject of him going to Barksdale. He'd have to think on it a bit more because he could see the rest of the group trickle into the field for training.

Training had become a bit more rigorous as Daryl knew that the group would soon need the skills that he was teaching them. It was an unfortunate truth. There would be a herd rolling through the farm soon and even though the fences were being reinforced in some of the afternoons, he knew that they would not hold under the weight of the several hundred walkers that would take the farm. He shuddered and focused back on the task at hand as the remaining group members took to the field.

As it stood, Rick, Shane, Hershel, and Beth were not participating in the training sessions. Daryl could understand that. Shane usually took watch, mostly avoiding Daryl if he could help it. Hershel and Rick were working on the fences, reinforcing them. Beth was still in shock after the barn incident. All she did was lay in bed while her father and sister worried on. Daryl didn't wholly remember what had snapped the girl out of it before and didn't know how he could help her. Patricia usually looked in on her, taking a break halfway through training, which was fine by Daryl. What Daryl couldn't understand or excuse was Lori Grimes. He had thought, after hearing her tale of getting attacked by walkers after her accident, the woman would take it on herself to actually learn how to fight back. Instead, she had taken to watching from the sidelines as she did some mundane chore. Andrea and Carol told him that the accident had scared Lori. It seemed that Lori had decided to leave the dangerous stuff to the men, but would watch the training sessions in case she ever needed them. Daryl still smirked when he recalled Andrea's comments about that.

Today, the others would be learning about killing walkers as part of a team. He was confident that most of the group could take down walkers solo and decided to work on teamwork. He started the lesson by calling his two best solo fighters forward.

"Why are you always picking on me?" Andrea grumbled as she and Maggie stepped forward. Maggie was quick, strong, agile, and she used her head. Glenn had been shocked when his girlfriend aced solo training, taking out all of the group members that had been acting as a walker herd with ease. Maggie had shrugged it off, saying that it was all very similar to moving cattle, moving on instinct and quickly judging where she needed to be and when she needed to get there.

"Here's the plan," Daryl said, ignoring Andrea, "The rest of us are walkers. Maggie and Andrea have to take us out."

As he had predicted, the two women fought like individuals instead of as a team. Maggie had circled around their fake herd, using her strategy of movement to take herself out of harm's way, leaving Andrea to try to blaze through them all on the sheer iron-will that she favoured. As was true for a real group of walkers, the group fixated on the target that was trying to push through the herd. Amy squealed with glee as she playfully took her sister down.

"Stop!" Daryl called, "Now what went wrong?" he asked. The group had gotten used to his style of teaching. First, he used someone as an example and nine times out of ten, they usually failed. Andrea was good for this as she would take the failure as a personal one and would do her damndest to make sure she didn't make that mistake again. Then he would ask the group what went wrong.

"They split up," Carl spoke up, "If you fight together, you should stay together."

"Most of the time, yeah," Daryl allowed, pleased that the boy spoke up, "If you do try splittin' up, though, both partners should be clear on the plan and both should be moving. Most of the time, it's better to stick close to each other."

He went on to explain things like fighting back-to-back and shoulder-to-shoulder. He emphasized communication, especially in the beginning. Later on, he knew that the group would be able to fight together like as a unit, but for now, it was good for them to shout back and forth. Then he randomly chose pairs to take on the rest of them. His favourite moment was when Carl and Sophia got into an argument. Carl wanted to stick by her, but Sophia wanted to run. It ended up in Carl chasing Sophia around as she dodged the others. At the end of their run, Carl was caught and Sophia was scolded by her mother for being so hard-headed.

"Ya know, she gets that from you, Woman," Daryl teased. Carol shook her head.

"I think you're rubbing off on her," she told him, "Jacqui and I worked together just fine earlier."

"Then work with me," Daryl challenged. Carol grinned and nodded. They took their places and slowly moved towards the group of fake walkers.

"Shoulder-to-shoulder," Daryl directed.

"I prefer back-to-back," she told him. He did not, remembering all too well that she would be bit in the future because she had been behind him instead of at his side.

"I'm the boss here and ya gonna be by my side where I can keep an eye on ya," he growled. She had time to glare over at him before she twisted to hit Glenn in the side of the head. Daryl covered her, taking out T-Dog as the man lunged forward. Carol stepped back like he had shown her and he took out Andrea. Carol covered him, managing to get Jimmy in the eye. Then she twisted so her back was to him, hitting Maggie. Amy and Patricia started for her back and Daryl lunged forward to block them, catching Patricia in the back of the head, but he was too late to avoid Amy tackling him. He fell to the ground with a thud.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Amy shouted triumphantly.

"Shoot! Daryl-"

"And that's why ya stick with one strategy," Daryl groused, cutting across Carol as he struggled to his feet, "Ain't wanna have to do that in real life, but I would if it came down to it," he revealed, "Glenn and T-Dog. Go to it!" he called the next pair forward. He moved to join the rest of the group, but noticed Carol had frozen.

"Ya comin'?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, realizing what her mistake would have cost her if it had been real. He swallowed and approached her. He hadn't meant to scare her like that.

"Don't be. It's better to make mistakes here then out there," he said, gently squeezing her hand, "I ain't losin' ya and you ain't losin' me."

They trained for another hour or so, mixing up the pairs before they determined that it was time for lunch. Carol was quiet as she ate, thinking hard on something. Whatever it was, he hoped that she would tell him at some point, or at least would tell Jacqui. The dark-skinned woman had become close with Carol. The two were always talking over chores or whatever. Daryl would ask her about it later. For now, though, he needed to talk to Hershel Greene and Rick Grimes.

He found the two men fixing fences after lunch, a task that Daryl didn't mind helping with. The two by four's probably wouldn't stop many walkers, but it would slow them up better than the wire fencing. He worked with the men for a while. Eventually Jimmy came to help.

"Hey, Hershel, any idea how far Barksdale is from here?" Daryl asked as he nailed a board in place. Sweat was already pouring off of him. He supposed Rick was the smart one, offering to help in the cooler mornings.

"Why would you want to know about a dive like that?" Jimmy wondered, laughing a little.

"My brother used to hang out at the bar there…Jake's," Daryl explained. He noticed Rick pause, uneasy.

"You think he's there?" the sheriff asked. Daryl shrugged.

"Don't rightly know," Daryl admitted, "but if it ain't too far from here, I'd like to check it out."

"What happened to your brother, Son?" Hershel asked.

"Got separated in Atlanta," Daryl replied, "Cut off his own hand on a rooftop. Been worried 'bout him."

"Merle was a danger to us in the city," Rick added, "High. I'm ashamed to admit my part in it. I handcuffed him to that roof to keep him from hurting the others. We went back for him, but by the time we got there, he was gone. Disappeared."

"Like I said, he hung 'round Jake's a lot," Daryl continued, "Lived there in the room above the bar for a time. He coulda went back there."

"Well, Barksdale is a couple hours away," Hershel said, "Probably closer to three. I could give you a map if you want."

"Like that very much," Daryl said, "Thank ya."

"Are you sure this is wise?" Rick asked, "I know he's your brother, but you don't know for sure if he's there or what you're walking into."

"Understand that," Daryl replied, "but what kinda brother would I be if I didn't try?" he asked. Rick frowned, mulling it over. He could see the guilt in the sheriff's face. Despite the fact that Merle was a strung out asshole when they met, Rick had showed that he was remorseful for his actions. Daryl was hoping that he could play on that.

"Guess I'd do the same if it was my brother," Rick said slowly, "If you want to go, I doubt I'd be able to stop you, but it's the others I'm worried about."

"I'll explain it to them. If they wanna be mad, they can get mad. I gotta at least try," Daryl stated.

"Why now?" Rick wondered, "After all this time…"

"'Cause now I feel that if I leave, things won't go to hell," Daryl lied, even if he was stating a truth, "People can defend 'emselves now. They're learnin' how to shoot. The farm's safe enough for 'em. It ain't like the quarry."

"And who would you be taking with you?" Rick wondered, "And when are you going? Tomorrow?"

"Was thinkin' Sunday," Daryl replied, "and I'm fine goin' alone. Wouldn't want to risk any more people than necessary."

"Goin' alone is never the answer, Son," Hershel said, knitting his brow in disapproval.

"What's never the answer?" Shane asked, sidling up to the three men. Daryl cursed in his head and turned to help Jimmy hold a board up to nail it.

"Ain't nothin', Shane," Rick sighed to his childhood friend. Rick then turned to Daryl, "You really think Sunday is a good idea?" he asked. Daryl could feel Shane's glare at not being included in the conversation.

"Sunday? Ain't that the day we're going to get rid of that boy Randall?" Shane wondered, "What's goin' on?"

"Was goin' out scoutin'," Daryl explained evasively, "Gonna check out a town. See what I can find."

He knew that if he mentioned Merle's name, there would be a blow up.

"On Sunday?" Shane repeated, frowning at Rick, "He leaves here same day we do, who's lookin' after the camp?"

"We got close to twenty people that can protect the camp," Daryl stated, "All of 'em know how to defend 'emselves-"

"So this son-of-a-bitch is fixin' on leavin' the women and children alone while we're gone?" Shane shot at Rick, completely ignoring Daryl's logical response.

"Shane, I'm handling it-"

"Handling it?" Shane scoffed, "Asshole's talkin' 'bout leaving again! Abandoning us! Abandoning the women and kids! Fuck, Rick just turn the son-of-a-bitch loose! It's obvious he doesn't wanna be around when we need him!"

"Shane, stop!" Rick intervened, pushing the muscular cop away.

"Son, I think you ought to go see if Glenn and T-Dog need help down by the barn," Hershel suggested firmly to Shane. Shane glared at all of them.

"Fine. Fine. Keep catering to this useless piece of trash-"

"Shane, go!" Rick said in a tone that left no room for argument. Shane stalked away, muttering under his breath.

"Jeez, he really needs the chill," Jimmy commented.

"I'll say," Daryl grumbled, "Look, Rick, ya know I wouldn't be thinkin' on goin' to Barksdale if I didn't feel that the group wouldn't be safe and if I didn't think I'd be able to get back. Besides, I could scout the area and bring back supplies if I find any," Daryl bargained. Rick chewed the inside of his cheek, mulling it over.

"I think you ought to go," Hershel said, "It's obvious that you've thought about it. It's admirable that you would go to such lengths for your brother. Besides, after seeing the way you handled yourself with that arrow, I figure that if anyone has a chance of surviving a trip like that, it would be you," he said. Daryl smirked and glanced at Rick.

"I can't stop you," Rick sighed, "but I understand your reasons. If you think this is something you have to do, then I just hope that you're careful and you come back."

"I will," Daryl promised.

"Does your woman and girl know about your plans yet?" Hershel wondered, grabbing some nails out of the coffee can at his feet.

"Not yet," Daryl admitted, "Gonna tell 'em later."

"Good luck, Son," Hershel chuckled. Daryl frowned, confused, and apparently he wasn't the only one.

"Why does he need luck?" Jimmy wondered. Rick smirked as Hershel laughed.

"You have a lot to learn about women, Son," the old man said. Daryl was suddenly reminded of Merle in his dream. He frowned, glancing over at the camp where Carol was talking with Jacqui in a rare moment when the two women were taking a break and sitting by the fire. What would she say about it? Surely she wouldn't make a big deal about it. He had done this a million and one times on the road and at the prison. It wasn't a big deal.

He excused himself and approached, nodding to Jacqui before speaking to Carol, "Can I talk to ya?" he asked.

"Does this have anything to do with why Shane was having a little major-minor breakdown at the fence?" Carol asked, following him into the field. Daryl sighed.

"Shane was pissed because I'm goin' to Barksdale on Sunday," Daryl stated, playing it off like it was no big deal. Carol blinked, frowning.

"You're what?" she asked.

"Goin' to Barksdale Sunday," he repeated, "Leave Sunday mornin' and be back Sunday evenin'."

There. He had done what he always did. He told her where he was going, when he was leaving, and when he was back. That had been the agreement before. He kept walking, but she stopped cold. He turned when he no longer heard her footsteps behind him. She was staring at him in disbelief.

"Aren't we going to talk about this?" she questioned, blinking in surprise.

"Talk 'bout what?" he shrugged. As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.

"What's in Barksdale?" she asked.

"Could be Merle," he shrugged, "He used to live in the bar there. Gotta check it," and at the look on her face, he added, "Ain't no big deal."

"And when did this come up?" she questioned, approaching him now, "You're just going to leave? When were you planning on telling me?"

"Tellin' ya now," Daryl replied, "I been thinkin' on it for a while. Everythin' seems safe enough here."

"So let me get this straight," she stated, her voice wavering like it did when she was upset about something, "An hour ago, you were telling me that you would die for me if you had to and now you're telling me that your leaving?" her voice was incredulous, still upset. Daryl furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What's the big deal?" he asked, "Ain't gonna be gone longer than a day-"

"You don't know that!" she shot at him, "You could run into anything out there-"

"I ain't afraid of no walkers," Daryl interrupted.

"What about those people that shot at Rick, Hershel, and Glenn?" she demanded, "If you ran into them-"

"I'd still fuckin' come back to ya," Daryl snapped, "Always do. Ya don't gotta worry 'bout me! Ain't nothin' gonna happen!"

"I don't want you to go," she said, biting her lip. He looked at her long and hard. She wasn't asking him. She was telling him and she expected him to listen. His brother's voice echoed in his head.

**_"Ya is pussywhipped. Figured ya oughta be askin' for permission to head off."_**

**_"Boy, ya look up 'pussywhipped' in a dictionary and ya gonna see your ugly mug starin' up at ya."_**

He clenched his jaw as he stared down at her, "Don't matter, Carol. I'm goin' and that's that."

A look of incredulousness flashed over her face and her voice shook slightly as she said, "How can you do this?"

"Look, I ain't pussywhipped!" he exclaimed in frustration, "Just 'cause we're together don't mean I gotta do what ya say! I'm goin' and ya ain't tellin' me otherwise!"

They both froze. He immediately knew that he had said the wrong thing. She couldn't believe that he would say something like that. He couldn't believe that he had put that look of hurt on her face. Her eyes filled with tears. He took a step towards her and she took one back.

"Carol, I-"

"Go," she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Carol, I didn't mean-"

"Just go, Daryl," she told him, closing her eyes momentarily to try to steel herself, "If you want to go so bad, then go. I won't worry. You aren't…pussywhipped."

She said the word with distaste and he regretted saying it even more.

"Carol-"

She turned and walked away from him, leaving him to replay the conversation over and over in his head. There was no denying that he had been an asshole. He ran his hands through his hair as he watched Carol retreat, slipping inside her tent. As she disappeared, he noticed Jacqui standing there. She looked after her friend, concerned and confused before she glanced up and saw him staring. Then she started towards him, crossing the field with long, purposeful strides. He thought about turning and retreating, but he supposed he deserved whatever he got. He had really been an asshole.

"What happened?" Jacqui demanded, coming to a halt in front of him. She fixed him with a stern gaze that reminded him of his fourth grade teacher who had figured that she could glare the Dixon right out of him.

"I fuckin' opened my mouth," Daryl groaned, hanging his head in shame, "Said somethin' so fuckin' stupid."

"Then you need to fix it," Jacqui said. It was not a statement, suggestion, or question. It was a demand that he would do anything to meet.

**TBC**

**Even though Daryl has his future knowledge, he isn't going to be the perfect man. He's going to screw up sometimes. This chapter and the next one were supposed to be together, but I've decided to split them up. Then, after that, Daryl's taking his trip to Barksdale. Now I'm going to go nurse some fantastic looking war wounds from paintballing. Hope to get another chapter up soon!**

**Next chapter: Daryl tries to fix the mess he's made.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future!**


	20. Compromise

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Daryl's going to try to make it work.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 19: Compromise**

_I let you down but I'll make it up to you somehow  
In time you'll see it's true,  
My will is strong, and I know that as these days go on  
You'll find I'll get to you  
if it's the last thing that I do_

Every step you take, I'll be a second behind  
Every move you make, I'll be the thorn in your side  
And know you can't fight this now  
I will not back down  
**…Alex Band – Will Not Back Down**

* * *

_Daryl sat outside alone, covered by a wood pallet, and surveyed the walker-filled prison yard as the sun fell in the sky. Each time one of the undead bastards crossed his line of sight, he felt anger and shame. He should have been there to defend the prison. He should have been there to help from the get-go instead of arriving late to the party. He had known that the Governor would take revenge on the prison. Merle had spouted off about it enough, but he had led Daryl away from his home, his family, and Daryl had let him. If the Dixon brothers had not returned when they did, who knows how many of Daryl's family members would have perished._

_His eyes travelled to the body that lay on the cement, covered by a sheet, the only casualty in the Governor's attack on the prison. When Daryl had first seen the body, he had been relieved that it was the inmate and not one of theirs. He had nothing against Axel, but if it came down to it, he'd rather see the prisoner go before one of their family members. As far as he was concerned, Axel was an outsider._

_Apparently he had been wrong on that account. The argument in the cellblock proved that._

_Upon returning inside Cellblock C, Rick had wasted no time in caging Merle and announcing that no one was to go outside unless it was to take watch behind the pallets. That was when Carol spoke up. Daryl's eyes had been drawn to her then, taking in the blood spattered onto her clothes and skin. Immediately, he scanned her for injuries, but found none. She had survived again and for that, he was once again thankful to whoever was looking out for her._

_"What about Axel?" she had said._

_"He's gone, Carol," Maggie had replied gently, rubbing Carol's shoulder in reassurance._

_"We need to bury him," Carol stated._

_"We can't take the risk, Carol," Rick refused, "I'm-"_

_"I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him," Carol interrupted, "He was my friend. He was one of us!"_

_"We can't, Carol. Not right now," Rick stated firmly, "It's too much of a risk-"_

_Carol had not let him finish. She marched into a cell. For a moment, Daryl wondered if she had gone to mourn. He took a step towards the cell, but was startled when she came out if it, a sheet in hand. She didn't look at him as she stepped by him. He felt his stomach drop. What had he missed when he went away? What had he put her through that she would not even look at him? He and Rick followed her out onto the old basketball court where Axel died. She lay the sheet overtop of his body, staring down at the dead man for a moment before she went back inside, not looking at either man as she stepped back into the prison._

_Maggie had explained it after they went back inside. She told of how Axel was the first to get shot and how his body had shielded Carol's from the haze of bullets raining down on the prisoners. Beth had said that Axel and Carol had grown closer over the last couple of days. The look the younger Greene girl shot at him made him realize what she didn't say: Axel had been a friend to Carol after Daryl abandoned her and the rest of the group._

_Now, Daryl felt like shit. If he had stayed, maybe she wouldn't have had to turn to Axel and maybe she wouldn't know that hurt of losing a friend. Then again, if she hadn't have been talking with Axel in the yard, she wouldn't have been able to use his body as a shield and she could be the one under a white sheet. Daryl shuddered. He had put her danger by leaving the prison. He had caused her to hurt for him and turn to another for comfort. Then she had lost that friend because Daryl wasn't there to protect the prison. It was his fault she was hurting right now._

_He approached Glenn, asking for the younger man's help. Together, they loaded up Axel's body into the truck. They drove out to their fenced in graveyard. Daryl set to work digging up the ceremonial grave that had been dug for Carol. He noticed that the cross had been taken away and that the Cherokee rose he had put there was gone. After the inmate was laid to rest, Daryl found the cross and put it upright again. He and Glenn nodded at each other and then drove back up to their gate._

Daryl sighed as he glanced over at the main camp and more specifically, at Carol's tent. He had put his foot in his mouth this time. She had looked so upset with him when she turned away and now he was left examining his actions with her closest friend in the camp, wishing that he could take it all back and make it right.

"What did you say to her?" Jacqui demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she surveyed him. Daryl shuffled uneasily, knowing that his words to Carol would not earn him any points with the dark-skinned woman.

"It matter?" Daryl wondered, trying to evade the question, "I know I fucked up and I know I gotta fix it."

"Of course it matters!" Jacqui exclaimed, "Since you two started up, she's smiled more in the last four days than I would imagine she has in the fourteen years she spent married to that devil! That woman deserves to be happy after all of the shit she's been through and up until five minutes ago, she was perfectly happy with you! Now what did you say that made Carol look like you ran over her damn dog?"

Daryl cringed at the idea of her being so upset because of him. He sighed, "Told her I was goin' on a day trip and she said she didn't want me to. Then I said I weren't pussywhipped and that she wasn't gonna tell me what to do," Daryl gave her the cliff-notes version. Jacqui's eyebrows shot up to her forehead.

"You said _what_?" she snarled.

"I freaked, alright!" Daryl admitted, throwing his hands up in defence, "I ain't good with relationship stuff and I ain't used to nobody tellin' me what I can and can't do!"

"Carol wouldn't do that and you know it," Jacqui shot at him, "That woman is the sweetest person I've ever met, even though she has no business bein' it on account of that asshole she married. She ain't one to boss others around."

"She said she didn't want me to go," Daryl reminded her, "I didn't know what to do with that!"

"She said that because she's worried about you!" Jacqui hissed, stopping him in his tracks, "She wouldn't have stopped you from going. Now you've been an insensitive ass about it."

"Well what the hell is she so worried 'bout?" Daryl wondered, "She knows I always come back to her."

Jacqui tilted her head in confusion, "Does she?"

Now Daryl was really confused, "The hell ya mean?"

He had always made sure that he had come home to the prison while out on runs or when he was off hunting. He had proven time and again that he was capable of withstanding any threat he came across and that he would always return to her.

"How does she know that you'll come back to her? When have you shown her that you'll come back to her?" Jacqui asked. Daryl frowned.

"I go huntin' all the time. Always come back," he answered.

"Bein' out in the forest behind the house and being off in some town who knows how far away are two very different things, Daryl," Jacqui admonished.

Daryl blinked. Something was trying to connect in his brain, but as it worked, he said, "Left her alone at the quarry when I went to Atlanta. Still came back."

"That was when she was with Ed," Jacqui replied, "She had no reason to believe that you were coming back for her."

"The forest then," Daryl said, "I came back to her when Sophia went missin'."

"And you came back to her with an arrow wound in your side," she reminded him, "If anythin', that would make her wonder even more if you're going to come back in one piece."

Daryl frowned, considering her words. She sighed as she watched his brain try to connect the dots.

"Daryl, she's worried because she doesn't know if you'll come back to her in one piece or at all," Jacqui told him, taking pity on him, "She doesn't know what you're capable of coming back from and she scared for you."

That's when it hit him. He had forgotten that the Carol in this time was different from the one in the future. The Carol in this time did not know that he would always come for her, no matter what he had to fight through. She didn't know, for instance, that he would climb up a hillside with an arrow in his side and then take a bullet just to return her daughter's doll to her. She didn't know that he would ride a motorcycle through a herd of geeks to pick her up and take her to safety. She also didn't know that he would find her in a solitary cell, bloody and dehydrated, and carry her to safety. She didn't know that he would fight his own demons and threaten to abandon his own kin to return to the prison, to her. She didn't know that he had travelled back in time just to save her. She didn't know any of it yet.

"You're right," he whispered, feeling like a complete asshole for taking it for granted that she knew just how dedicated he was to her, even before they were a couple in the other timeline.

"She cares for you, Daryl," Jacqui said, "and you tellin' her that she's not supposed to is probably making her wonder what else she is or is not supposed to do. She can't help the way she feels, though, and she's probably wondering if you even feel the same way. I know I would be if Theodore just up and told me he was taking off somewhere without talking to me about it first."

"You and T-Dog, huh?" Daryl chuckled. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't try to change the subject," she scolded, "And you've probably got Carol doubly confused. You told her you'd die for her while we were training and now you're telling her that she ought to sit back, let you do what you please, and push her feelings aside."

"Hadn't thought of that," he admitted, squirming a little.

"Well think on it," Jacqui advised him, "You need to make up your mind about what you want from her and you need to let her know. Then you need to stick to it and work it out like a grown ass man instead of throwing words like 'pussywhipped' around."

"I can do that," Daryl said firmly, "I will do that."

"Good," Jacqui said, satisfied, "but remember that she is my friend. Don't hurt her."

Daryl did not miss the tone in which she said that. Though she didn't say the words, he knew that there was an 'or else' at the end of that sentence. He watched her head back to the camp and he was thankful that she had explained things to him. She really helped his ass out and he would make sure that her advice would not go unheeded. He would fix this. He would show her that he cared.

_The morning after he and Glenn buried Axel, Daryl sat behind his pallet, keeping watch again. He noticed as Carol and Maggie hovered near the doorway._

_"The cross is back up," he heard Carol say. She was frowning slightly._

_"Huh?" Maggie asked, blinking._

_"The one I took down yesterday," Carol clarified, "The one on my grave."_

_"Didn't Daryl tell you?" Maggie wondered, "He and Glenn went out there last night to put Axel to rest. They put him in that grave. They must have put up the cross again."_

_"He did that?" Carol asked, emotion creeping into her voice._

_"It's what ya wanted," Daryl answered her, making himself known by getting to his feet. She blinked back tears as she looked over at him. He simply nodded to her and gently touched her arm as he walked by. Later, when she came by his cell to talk to him, tell him that she was glad that he was back, he knew that she had forgiven him for leaving. She knew that despite him leaving to follow his brother, he still cared for her._

Still, knowing the reasons why Carol was upset didn't exactly make him any less nervous than he already was about approaching her tent an hour later. He had tried to rehearse what he would say to her, but it just never came out right. Finally he decided to bite the bullet and see where it got him. He paused with his hand on the zipper and looked around. He found Jacqui's eyes on him, watching him carefully as she prepared the rabbit he had hunted up the evening before. He took a breath and pulled on the zipper of the tent. Carol jumped when it opened and hastily went to wipe her eyes. When she saw Daryl there, she turned away.

"Daryl, what are you doing here?" she asked, her back to him as she dabbed at her face with a shirt. If Daryl didn't already feel like the biggest piece of shit for hurting her, he definitely did now.

"I need to talk to ya," he said, "Come for a walk with me?" he requested.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said stubbornly, throwing the shirt she had been using as a tissue into a dirty clothes pile. She still refused to look at him. He huffed out a breath. He should have known that she would be difficult. She hadn't had three years to get used to him being an idiot on occasion and thus would not have the patience with him that allowed for their relationship to function. He really needed to stop assuming shit about Carol. He was really starting to look like an ass. Well, he wasn't leaving until they had this out one way or another. He stepped inside the tent, crouching down as he did the zippered door back up. She turned to look at him then, demanding, "What are you doing?"

"I need to talk to ya 'bout before," he stated, "If ya don't want to come with me, then we'll talk here."

"Now you want to talk?" she asked, shaking her head as she moved to the corner of the tent, making herself look as small as possible with her knees pulled up to her chin.

"I do," he said, "Look, I was an ass before. Didn't think and I'm sorry for that, alright? I ain't good at relationships. I haven't figured how they work," he told her honestly. It was the truth, for in the future, she did most of the work, guiding him through it all. She was patient with him and understood that it was all new to him. He sighed, "Only real relationship I ever been in is with ya-"

"Bullshit," Carol swore at him. He blinked in confusion. Carol had just cursed at him. He was stunned. Even in the future, her cursing was an uncommon occurrence.

"W-what?" he spluttered.

"Don't sit there and lie to me about me being the only relationship you've ever had. You're thirty-six-years-old. I can't be the only-"

"Well ya are!" he shot back at her, recovering a bit, "Before ya, the longest I had ever been 'with someone'," and at this he made air-quotes with his fingers, "was a two week thing in high school that ended when I took off my shirt and she realized that I was one ugly, scarred up son-of-a-bitch. That was my first and last try for anythin' like that. Figured I wouldn't have to get hurt if I didn't let no one in. Thought it was better that way than screamin' and fightin' my way through a relationship like my momma and daddy did. I got lonely, sure, and then I'd have a thirty second 'relationship' with some girl in the back of a bar and then I'd go on my merry fuckin' way. So yeah, Carol, ya are the only real serious relationship I've ever been in!" he revealed, feeling uneasy as she considered him. He had never revealed that to her in the future. She had just seemed to understand that when it came to experience with relationships, he may as well have been a goddamn virgin.

"Then why me?" she asked, "Why would you suddenly want to start a real serious relationship with me?"

She had asked him that question before, but he had hardly given her reasons for his feelings for her. Now he supposed that he owed her that.

"Because I ain't never met no one like ya before, Carol," Daryl admitted to her, "You're the first person that I ain't wanted to push away. Ya understand me better than I understand myself and for the first time in my life, I wanna to be more than what I am. I wanna to be better. I wanna to be a man that deserves ya. Ya bring out a better side of me and I care 'bout ya more than I ever cared 'bout anyone or anythin'."

Carol considered him for a long moment, peering over her knees at him with her large blue eyes. She let out a shaky breath, like she was trying to keep from crying, before she asked, "How can you know all of that? We've only known each other for three months. You and I have only been together for four days…"

"Which goes to show how hard and how fast I've fallen for ya," he told his voice softer now as he admitted to her how he felt. Her eyes widened and her body loosened slightly from her protective ball. He hoped that was a good sign.

"You've fallen for me?" she gasped. His heart was hammering in his chest and he was praying that this wasn't too soon. He heaved a breath.

"Yeah," he admitted, "Yeah I have and I wanna give us, you and me, a real try. I can't promise that I'm always gonna say or do the right thing. I can be a real asshole sometimes and I ain't got a whole lot of experience with this romantic stuff, but for you, I'll try to be better," he declared, feeling more vulnerable than he had ever felt in his whole life, past or future, "It's why I wanna work it out."

He watched as she slowly untangled her limbs, her brow furrowed in thought as she took in his words. He was so focused on her that when she finally moved her lips to speak, he nearly missed it.

"I want to try too," she said softly and he felt like a weight had lifted from his chest. She took a breath as her fingers played with the hem of her shirt as she spoke, "What you said today, earlier, during training…it got me thinking," Carol told him, "I've never had anyone care about me that much before and…and I wondered if that meant that you felt the same way as me. I thought it was too soon to be having the feelings I was having…" she trailed off, leaving Daryl's heart somewhere up in his throat, "Then this afternoon, when you said that you weren't…uh…"

He sighed in shame, "That was me being that asshole I was tellin' ya about," Daryl told her, "I wasn't thinkin' and I hurt ya and I'm so fuckin' sorry for that."

She was hesitant as she raised her eyes to his, "And if we were to talk about it right now?" she wondered. Daryl sighed. He had been expecting this. This conversation was important. He had to explain himself to her.

"Then I'll try to use my head before I talk," he promised. She nodded, biting her lip.

"So what was that?" she asked, "It's like you forgot that I existed."

"I ain't used to havin' to talk 'bout where I'm goin'," he answered, choosing his words carefully, "Usually I just say where I'm goin', how long I'll be gone, and when I'm gettin' back. Ain't never a big deal before."

Carol was back to playing with the hem of her shirt, frowning. She sighed, "The idea of you leaving…anything could happen…"

"You were worried 'bout me," Daryl finished for her, once again thankful for Jacqui's input now that he understood it a bit better.

"Yeah," Carol nodded, "You told me I didn't have to…"

"Got to thinkin' 'bout it and I sort of realize that maybe ya have a point, worryin' 'bout me," he said, sitting back and exhaling, "Ya don't know if I'm gonna come back or not."

"I don't," she agreed, "and that's a bit scary, having someone you care about walk into danger."

"I get that," Daryl said, thinking about Merle taking on the governor alone. He thought of Carol willingly putting herself in the path of a walker to save him.

"Can you just tell me why?" she questioned, "Why do you want to leave?"

Daryl heaved sigh and thought very carefully about his answer, thinking about what he said to Rick and Hershel earlier, "It's not that I wanna. It's just…I keep wonderin' 'bout Merle. Been thinkin' 'bout where he could be. Feel like I owe it to him to try. Thought it'd be okay to try. It's pretty safe here and everyone knows how to take care of 'emselves so it wouldn't hurt for me to go for a few hours. I know it could be dangerous, but I also know that I'd do 'bout anythin' to come back here to ya. I know it don't mean much now, but if ya give me a chance, I wanna show ya that I will come back for ya."

"You don't know that you will come back," she reminded him, "You don't know if your brother is there in…Barksdale, was it? There're so many things that are uncertain…"

"I don't know if Merle's there," Daryl allowed, "and I don't know what could be there, neither. It's probably a dead end, but there's that chance that he could be, ya know? Or maybe I'll find somethin' that tells me where he is."

She nodded her head, "There's nothing I could say to make you change your mind, is there?" she asked a little sadly. He frowned and considered it for a moment. He thought back to the time he walked out on his prison family to be with Merle. He remembered the regret and the guilt when he saw the devastation the Governor inflicted upon his home in his absence. He remembered Rick telling him about Carol.

_"It was a good thing you did, burying Axel. Reckless, but it was a good thing," Rick told him as they stood together on the perch._

_"Carol was right. He saved her. He was one of us at the end," Daryl shrugged, wishing he had a cigarette about now. Rick nodded._

_"You know, I'm pretty sure that woman is gonna outlast us all," Rick stated, smiling a little, "She damn near fell apart when we rode up and you weren't in the car. Thought she'd be down…in a funk or something for a while, but she held on, found a way to move forward. She got close with Axel. Chatted with him a few times. Think he might have been sweet on her. Now he's gone and here she is again taking care of everything, moving forward. She's survived so much…lost so much…and she's still keeping on. Wish I knew how she does it."_

_Daryl grunted in reply, his eyes finding the woman in question down below, watching as she helped with Judith. He chewed on his thumbnail as he considered Rick's words. She had missed him and had broken down when he had left. She had tried to move forward. She got hurt again at the loss of a friend. All of that had been on him for leaving her. The guilt swirled around in his stomach. More than ever, he wished that he and Rick could have worked something out so that he never would have had to choose between his brother and his family. He should have stayed. _

"If you say the word," Daryl said slowly, remembering the weight of that guilt of leaving her alone, "If you don't want me to go, I won't," he told her. He could practically hear his brother screaming at him in his head, but Daryl tuned it out. He had already allowed Merle to make him leave her once. He would be a fool to make that mistake again when his relationship with her was so new and so fragile. She frowned at him.

"You said before that you didn't want me to tell you what to do," she reminded him, "You said that you weren't…pussywhipped."

"I let my damn brother get in my head," he muttered and at her confused look, he added, "Sometimes…sometimes it's like I can hear him in my head, like what he would say if he could see me now. Merle…Merle's never been the kind to settle down. Used to laugh at guys that tried. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes it's almost like I can hear him…" Daryl trailed off, not able to find the words.

"Like he was there with you?" Carol finished for him. He nodded and she sighed, "Sometimes…sometimes I can still hear Ed in my head. None of it is good," she admitted. Daryl cringed. He could only imagine what kind of imprint the bastard had left on her mind. She took another breath, "I guess I understand what it is to have demons and how it is to let them affect your life."

"I'm sorry I said that," Daryl apologized, "It was a stupid thing to say. You ain't ever told me what I can and can't do and ya really ain't the type to boss someone 'round. I'm sorry."

"I appreciate that," she sighed, raising her eyes to his. He took a chance and reached out to tentatively put his hand on hers. He took it as a good sign that she didn't pull away.

"I meant what I said," he told her, "If you don't want me to go, I won't."

He watched as she mulled that over again. He waited for her to say something.

"I don't want to be the reason that you didn't go after your brother," she said after a moment, "As dangerous as it could be…this is something that you feel that you have to do. Maybe…maybe it will give you some peace of mind."

"Really?" Daryl asked, surprised at the change of heart. She nodded.

"You said that you want to show me that you'll come back. Maybe this is a chance for that," Carol speculated, "Before you go, though, I think we ought to get some things straight."

"Okay. Shoot," he nodded.

"I told you before that I have never felt this way about anyone else," she reminded him, "I really care about you, Daryl. I think I'm falling for you too."

Daryl felt his whole body relax at the declaration, but he immediately tensed a little when he heard that three-letter 'b' word fall from her lips, "But I've been hurt before," she said, "I fell for a man that was charming at first. Then controlling. It got to the point where I had no say in what he did and very little say in what I did," she revealed to him. She took a breath, "I know that you're nothing like Ed, Daryl, but what you said this afternoon…you said that I have no say in what you do."

He cursed himself for even making her think that there was anything remotely similar between him and Ed. He gently squeezed her hand before he spoke, "That was me stickin' my whole damn leg in my mouth," he moaned, "I don't want it to be like that between us at all."

"I'm glad that you said that," she told him, "because if this is gonna work, then we have to find a balance somewhere…a compromise where we can both be individuals, but where we still consider each other as part of our decisions."

"Seems like a good idea," he agreed, "Be willin' to work on it. Gonna probably need a little help on that," he added.

"Me too," Carol agreed, "Maybe we could help each other with that."

"Sounds good," Daryl nodded. They were quiet for a moment before he asked, "Can I kiss ya?"

"Sure," she permitted. Daryl smiled and leaned over, gently brushing his lips against hers. When they pulled away, Carol asked her own question, "Can we try something…the compromise?"

"What?" he asked, nodding for her to continue. She took a breath, choosing her words carefully.

"I know that you're going to Barksdale and I said that I was okay with that. I'm still worried about you and I don't like that you'd be going alone," she told him, "Is there any way that someone else could go with you?"

Daryl thought it over. He hadn't wanted to involve the others in whatever chaos Merle had created. Who knew what was waiting in that town? On that note, it might be good to have back-up. He had once said that he couldn't do anything without people anymore. Besides, it was a favourable compromise.

"Could ask," he agreed, "but…uh…can we compromise on that?"

"How so?" she wondered.

"Well, Sunday's the day Rick and Shane are takin' Randall out. I would really prefer it if T-Dog, Glenn, and Dale stayed on the farm. That way it's three guys here and three guys out there," he told her, "I'm fine takin' anyone else with me though. You pick," he offered, thinking that maybe she'd feel better about the whole idea if she got to choose his partner.

"I think Andrea would be a good choice," Carol revealed, "She's a strong fighter. I'd feel better if she went with you."

"Alright," Daryl nodded, "We'll ask her later. Can't see her sayin' 'no', though. Think she's been itchin' for a chance to get her hands dirty. Anythin' else?"

"I'm good. Better," Carol said. He quirked a smile.

"Good then. 'Cause I really wanna kiss ya again," he told her, leaning in to do just that. He couldn't help but smile into the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He had successfully navigated the waters of his first fight with Carol and had come to an understanding. He was no expert, but he thought that they had done a pretty damn good job of figuring it out. He would have to do something nice for Jacqui at some point.

**TBC**

**I struggled with this chapter. It was hard to write, knowing that in my mind, Daryl is totally in love with Carol, yet she is just beginning to feel something for him and that their relationship is still technically new. Also, I really wanted to show him trying to fix it and Carol's caution in moving forward. In know it was a lot of talking, but the next chapter will be more exciting.**

**Next chapter: Daryl and Andrea head to Barksdale.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	21. Merle's Mission

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. And we are in Barksdale, folks! Time to see what Merle's been hiding. I could listen to that song all day.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 20: Merle's Mission**

_What if I'm far from home?  
Oh brother I will hear you call  
What if I lose it all?  
Oh sister I will help you back home  
Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do_

Hey brother  
There's an endless road to be discovered  
Hey sister  
Do you still believe in love, I wonder?  
Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you  
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do  
**…Avicii – Hey Brother**

* * *

**_Merle was pacing when Daryl came into the dream world. Daryl smirked. The fucker was actually nervous about this trip._**

**_"Good. You're here," Merle greeted, "It's time."_**

**_"You've looked better, Bro. Expectin' somethin'?" Daryl wondered. Merle shot him a glare and nabbed him by the collar._**

**_"Listen, Boy, ya don't screw this up, alright? Ya keep Sugar Tits in check and you don't fuck this up," he growled. Daryl's eyebrows flew up to his hairline._**

**_"Jesus, Merle. I ain't never see you this rattled up since that stripper ya was bangin' stole your drugs," Daryl observed. He gulped nervously when he could actually hear his brother's teeth grinding together._**

**_"You get this fuckin' thing done, ya lil' smart ass," Merle snapped dangerously, "Ya don't and I'm dead. Remember. Jake's. The bar. Ya go in there and ya find what I want ya to find."_**

**_"Alright!" Daryl threw his hands up in surrender, "What is it I'm lookin' for?"_**

**_"You'll know it when ya see it," Merle shot at him, "Now wake the fuck up, Daryl, and get ya ass to Barksdale."_**

When Daryl opened his eyes, it was still dark and Carol was curled up against him. He was very reluctant to move away from her warm, naked body, however he had a feeling that if he closed his eyes, his brother would give him all kinds of hell for it. With a sigh, he gently moved away, trying to be careful not to wake her as he readied for his trip to Barksdale, but he failed in that endeavour.

"It's still dark," she murmured sleepily.

"Just gonna get Andrea movin' and get set to go," he whispered, placing a kiss on her shoulder, "'Sides, sooner we get goin', sooner we gonna get back…and I really don't wanna deal with Shane 'fore we go."

"You'll be careful?" Carol wondered, turning her head to look at him.

"I'm comin' back to ya, woman. Ain't no doubt," he told her, leaning in to catch her lips in his in long, lazy kiss. He groaned as her hands moved over his chest. He pulled back.

"Keep that up and I won't be wantin' to go anywhere," he warned. She smiled mischievously.

"How about I give you a reason to come back?" she asked, grinding herself against him. He groaned low and long as she brushed up against his hardened erection.

"What the hell?" he shrugged. Merle's mission of madness could wait while he let Carol take advantage of him. He pulled her to him and hooked her leg over his hip. She sat above him, straddling him.

"Definitely comin' back," he moaned, his hands moving up her back to cup her breasts as she sank down onto his length.

Fifteen minutes later, he was giving her a sweet kiss before he moved from the warmth of her tent to the cool early morning air. The night before, she had insisted that he stay with her while Sophia slept over in Carl's tent. It was kind of like a sweet send off before he took off to Barksdale, one that he was definitely okay with. Daryl had realized that she was not the same woman he knew in the future and assuming that she was had gotten him into hot water. They had spent the following days together, just talking about things and getting to know each other all over. He even took her and Sophia with him on a hunt in the forest. They didn't catch shit, but both Carol and Sophia seemed to enjoy the walk through the trees. At night, Carol still came to visit with him and they had eased back into making love following the disagreement. He was more focused than ever on pleasing her, so much so that on one occasion, she had cupped her hand over his mouth to keep him from asking if she was enjoying herself. Afterwards, he would walk her back to her tent. The night before his trip, however, she had asked him to stay with her and he was happy to oblige. It was nice waking up beside her.

He grinned and walked over to the RV. The sun was beginning to creep over the horizon. He opened the door and found Andrea, fully dressed, sitting at the RV putting together her gun. Oh, that damn gun. He still remembered that sleepless night back on the highway in the other timeline. Between Carol's crying and Andrea playing with that stupid gun, he had gotten very little sleep.

"Didn't expect ya to be up," he observed.

"Neither did we," Amy groaned from the bunk. Andrea rolled her eyes and stowed her gun in her pack.

"Love you too, Sis," Andrea called, "Bye Dale," she said, bounding out the RV door, nearly knocking Daryl over in the process, "We heading out?"

"On the bike," Daryl grunted, "Let's get goin'."

They walked back to his campsite where he had already loaded his gun, bow, knife, and arrows into the saddlebag on the bike along with a couple snacks and some water. He had no idea what the hell his brother had in store for him, but he wasn't about to take any chances. He mounted his bike and brought it to life. Andrea got on behind him.

"Where do I hold on?" she asked.

"My waist," Daryl explained. It was strange having a woman besides Carol riding behind him. Those days on the road after the farm fell had him accustomed to her body behind him, holding onto him. Those days had seen him not flinching so much at her touch.

With Andrea behind him, he eased the bike down the driveway and away from the farm. He was thankful that the hour was early and Shane wasn't about to run chasing after them in his underwear. The ex-cop had been a pain in his ass since Daryl announced that he and Andrea were headed to Barksdale, but the rest of the group seemed to take it in stride. Amy and Dale had warned him that he had better bring Andrea back in one piece, which he was fine with. Sophia had been a little upset, but she still saw him as some kind of god or something and had somehow been key in convincing Carol that he would make it back to them.

It took them close to three hours to get to Barksdale. They kept off of the highways and stopped every so often to look at the map Hershel had given them. They hardly seen any walkers, a good sign. As they neared the town, he decided that he would park the bike outside of the town to avoid drawing attention. He didn't know what they were walking into, but the last time he had been to Barksdale, he had not particularly enjoyed it. He had been lured there by Merle so that the asshat could retrieve his drugs and then Merle's asshole motorcycle buddies had attacked him and took most of his supplies. When he had rolled through then, the town had been overrun. Now it was a ghost town.

"You think Merle's here?" Andrea wondered as they strolled into town, "It looks like we'd have better luck finding ghosts here."

"Ya can bet ya ass that we'll find somethin' dead here, that's for damn sure," he replied, ensuring that his bow was at the ready, "It weren't always this quiet. The asshole used to raise hell here with his motorcycle buddies on occasion. Stay sharp. Even though you're a helluva shot, we don't wanna use guns and draw attention to ourselves. Ya probably gonna see some hand-to-hand stuff here."

"Good," Andrea said, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife, "Time to see if your words of wisdom were really that wise."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Stay close to me and don't bite off more than ya can chew. Ya sister would gut my ass."

They walked towards Jake's bar and Daryl made a silent promise to himself that he would put an arrow in his brother's ass if that bastard had sent him off for drugs. He frowned as he sidestepped a dead body, a man who was shot in the head execution style. That spelled trouble.

"This was recent," Andrea said, whispering, "And I don't think he was a walker when he died."

"Glad to see ya read what observant meant in the dictionary," Daryl muttered, walking a little ways ahead. He found another executed man and then a woman who was slumped against a pillar with a gun in her hand and a hole in her temple.

"Suicide?" Andrea asked, sending an uneasy look his way. Daryl nodded and bent to take the gun from the woman's dead hand. He noticed the way her clothes were rumpled and a feeling of dread settled into his stomach.

"Let's get to the bar and get this shit done," Daryl barked, slipping the handgun into his belt. They rounded a corner to find two male walkers eating a female corpse. He let an arrow fly, hitting the larger of the two males. Then he turned to Andrea, "Your turn, Annie Oakley."

"Me?" Andrea whispered, now seeming a little hesitant when faced with the very real threat of a walker.

"Ya said ya wanted to prove yourself, so get over there and do it. I'll cover ya," he promised, docking another arrow. Andrea took a breath and stepped forward. The other walker had determined that there was fresher prey and snarled as it stumbled towards the blond. She lunged forward, arm up just like he had taught her. She hadn't anticipated the strength of the walker and after she stabbed it in the eye, it fell forward on top of her. Daryl chuckled as she struggled to push it away and then stepped forward to help her out. Black blood stained her light blue shirt.

"Ugh, that was disgusting," Andrea gagged as she stumbled away.

"Bit different than trainin', eh?" Daryl asked, retrieving his arrow and jabbing it into the walkers' meal just to be sure.

"A lot," Andrea said, "Is it always that close?"

"Nah, ya just hesitated a little. Ya gotta hit 'em harder than they're hittin' you," Daryl advised, frowning a little as he observed the two dead walkers. Both men had been shot in the chest and showed no signs of bites or scratches. He hoped Andrea would overlook that in light of her walker kill.

"Let's get in there," he said, looking over at the bar, "Six corpses don't exactly scream 'welcome'."

He approached first and glanced in the window. He cursed under his breath. The bar was teeming with walkers.

"What's wrong?" Andrea whispered, coming up beside him. He pointed at the window and she cringed, "Can we take them out?"

"Not easily," he admitted, knowing she wasn't ready for a group of walkers that size, "Gonna be smart 'bout this. Lead 'em out of the bar."

"Do we have to go in?" Andrea hissed, "If there's walkers in there, then I doubt even your brother would be dumb enough to go in there."

"There's two rooms above the bar. I gotta check," he replied. He glanced around and saw a heaping trash bin. If there was one thing he knew, it was that where there was trash, there were rats. That fact had saved the group from starvation on occasion. He made quick work of piercing two with his arrows. He didn't kill them, only wanting to injure them.

"What the hell?" Andrea wondered as he approached the injured animals.

"Bait," Daryl said simply. Taking the vermin by the tails, he approached the bar door and kicked it open. It drew the walkers' attention, but the thing that got the dead bastards moving was the piercing squeaks of the injured rats. When the dead started to move, Daryl released the rodents and then pulled Andrea around the corner. They watched as the walkers stumbled out of the bar in pursuit of a meal. When the last one ran by, he pulled her into the bar and shut the door.

"Where the hell did you learn how to do that?" Andrea gasped at him. Daryl grinned.

"There are just some things I haven't got 'round to tellin' ya in trainin'," he told her, "If ya can avoid a fight, do it."

"I thought the point of training was to fight," Andrea wondered as they moved to look around the bar. It was every bit as dirty, dank, and depressing as he remembered it. It reeked like death and alcohol. He looked around the main floor for any sign of his brother, but all he noted was the bottles stacked behind the bar.

"Point of trainin' is to teach ya how to survive, be it fightin' or runnin'," Daryl corrected, "Ya need to be thinkin' how ya can survive."

"Alright, alright, Professor," Andrea said, holding her hands up to stop the lecture. Daryl had thought long and hard about this trip, getting used to the idea that Andrea would be with him. The more he thought on it, the more he realized that he ought to show her a few things before she got separated from the group. He had been thinking a lot on that and he knew that had they not lost Andrea at the farm, they would not have met Michonne. Daryl was no idiot and he knew that if it came down to it, he'd rather have the dread-locked, katana-wielding samurai on his side no matter what.

"So, I'm not seeing any sign of your brother," Andrea commented, "I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that the alcohol and the drugs are coincidental," she said. Daryl snorted and glanced upwards. Merle, you ought to help me out here, Daryl thought. Then, almost as if someone had heard his thoughts, there was a noise from above his head. Andrea had heard it too and they both looked up at the ceiling.

"Think we oughta check that out," Daryl said, heading for the stairs.

"Figured you'd say that," Andrea muttered, following him. They took it slow, Daryl in the lead with his bow. Four walkers had remained in the upstairs and all four were fixated on the second door on the top of the stairs.

"They want in that room," Andrea observed.

"That kinda focus usually means they can eat whatever's in there," Daryl replied, letting an arrow fly into the skull of the largest walker, "We go in and fight shoulder-to-shoulder," he ordered, unsheathing his knife. They moved together in the cramped hallway. Andrea was quick about taking out the walker on the right, using more force than she had with her first. Daryl killed the one on the left and kicked the middle walker back away from them. Then he watched as Andrea finished it off.

"Ready to see what's behind door number one?" Andrea asked, turning the handle and pushing. Nothing happened, "It won't budge," she said.

"Let me," Daryl grumbled, repositioning his bow as he hit the door with his shoulder. It didn't open, "Son-of-a-bitch!" he cursed.

"H-hello?" a voice, an actual living voice, called from the other side. It was female and it was weak.

"Are you alright?" Andrea called, "Can you open the door?"

"I-I can't," the woman groaned, "It's blocked. The…the window…" her voice trailed off into a coughing fit. Daryl looked towards the other door. He supposed that if both rooms had windows, then they could shimmy over to her.

"C'mon," he said to Andrea, who looked at him like he had grown another head.

"We can't leave her!" she protested.

"We ain't," he replied, "let's see if we can get in there and shimmy over to the room through the windows."

They entered what looked like a small office. The window was busted open and was easily large enough for them fit through. He was thankful for the bit of ledge that he used to sidestep over the other window. When he crawled inside the next window, the smell of death, blood, urine, vomit, and shit filled his nostrils. He gagged as he got his bearings, but when he turned, he was met with a gun in his face.

"Fuck!" he swore as he raised his hands.

"Jesus!" Andrea gasped as she crawled in behind him. Whether it was from the smell of the room or the appearance of the woman pointing a gun at them was anybody's guess. She was a slight thing and from the looks of it, she was sicker than a dog. Sweat had plastered her red hair to her skin and she was breathing hard. Her green eyes were glazed over and drooped as she struggled to keep them opened. Her arms shook slightly, as if pointing the handgun at him was zapping her of every bit of strength he had. She hadn't even stood up to point the gun at him. She just sat on the floor, leaning against the wall to keep her upright.

"Are…are ya gonna…ya gonna kill me like ya did the rest?" she managed to get out.

"Whoa, we didn't kill no one!" Daryl protested, "We rode in here and only killed them walkers tryin' to get at ya!"

"You can put the gun down," Andrea said calmly, "We're not going to hurt you. My name's Andrea. This is Daryl. We can help you."

The woman considered them for a moment, the gun in her hand shaking worse than ever now and she struggled to spit out a question, "Why are ya h-here?"

"Lookin' for my damn brother," Daryl explained, "Ya seen him? His name's Merle and he used to practically live in this place."

She suddenly dropped the gun, letting it clatter to the floor, "You…you're Merle's brother? M-Merle Dixon?"

"You know him?" Andrea asked, shocked. The woman nodded.

"He's my brother. Who the hell are ya?" Daryl demanded. He waited until she finished hacking away.

"Tara Hannigan. Ran with Merle for a while," she told him. Daryl frowned. Merle sent him here to find his old girlfriend?

"You're his girlfriend?" Andrea wondered. This earned her a weak chuckle.

"Honey, Merle don't do girlfriends. He was good f-for a good fuck, but that's it," Tara replied, wincing as she struggled to change her position.

"Ya seen him lately?" Daryl asked, "Got separated from him a while ago."

She shook her head, "Ain't seen him since he got busted."

"Shit," Daryl cursed, "Ya here alone?" he asked, looking around. A pile of furniture was barricaded against the wall and he could see a dead body, a female propped against the opposite wall.

"Greg, Nick, Billy, Matty, Sylvia, and Anna were outside when they got jumped by some sick fucks. Me and May heard it all," Tara paused to cough, "B-Bastards killed the guys and…and I could hear the girls screaming. If it weren't for the eaters in the bar, they woulda came up here."

"Eaters?" Andrea asked.

"Walkers," Daryl translated, "What happened to ya friend?" he asked, pointing to the corpse of the woman on the other side of the room.

"She lost her guy down there and when she heard them eaters outside the door, she…" Tara trailed off and winced slightly as she mimed shooting herself in the head. Daryl cringed.

"What's wrong with you?" Andrea changed the topic, "Bit? Scratched?"

Tara shook her head, though even that caused her a good deal of difficulty, "Nah, this would be your damn brother's fault," she shot at Daryl.

"Merle?" Daryl wondered, "But you said-"

She just pointed to a bundle of blankets there on the floor. Daryl knit his brow in confusion and he exchanged a wary look with Andrea. He stepped passed Tara to examine the bundle. He half-expected drugs, which would have made sense coming from his brother, but he met the shock of his life when he was met with a baby sleeping soundly in the rags.

"What the fuck?" Daryl gasped, looking over at the sick woman.

"Oh my god!" Andrea exclaimed as she looked over at the baby.

"That son-of-a-bitch always said he'd get me back for givin' him the clap," Tara let out a weak chuckle, "Never dreamed it'd be like this."

"It's Merle's?" Daryl questioned, his eyes wide.

"Always screwed 'round with him when he was in town," Tara moaned, "Only guy I been with in the last year. Then a month or so later, I find out he knocked me up. The next thing I know he's in the joint and I'm huge and in the middle of a fuckin' zombie shit show."

"Did he know?" Daryl asked, staring down at the baby, "He never said a damn word to me."

"T-Told him and he spouted shit 'bout it not bein' his and me tryin' to…t-trap him. Then two days later, he's gettin' his ass hauled out of here for dealin'."

"Jesus Fucking Christ!" Daryl moaned, running his hands through his hair. His brother had a fucking baby. This was what Merle had sent him for? Fuck!

"I'm so sorry," Andrea said softly.

"Tried to find him," Tara coughed, her voice quieter than before as she struggled to keep her eyes open, "Came back here. F-Figured this is where he'd come."

"We rolled through here a month or so ago," Daryl explained, "Why are ya so sick?"

"Lotta bad stuff happened yesterday," Tara grunted, closing her eyes.

"Hey!" Daryl protested, hitting her clammy cheek, "Wake up, here! Stay with us!"

Her eyes fluttered open. They were green. She was panting in exhaustion, "F-Fuckin' bastards rolled in, killed my friends. Went into labour. Baby cried and brought the eaters here. M-May shot herself. I've been sick, bleedin'. Ain't gonna…wanna die."

"We know a doctor," Andrea said desperately, "We can get you to him…"

"She won't make it," Daryl stated sadly. There was no way Tara Hannigan was going to last three minutes let alone three hours.

"Gonna die," Tara said, her voice slurring, "Can ya…can ya take care of her?"

"Her? It's a girl?" Daryl asked. Tara nodded slightly as she winced in pain.

"I'd pay good money to see Merle Dixon with a daughter," Andrea snorted and Daryl couldn't help but agree. Dixons didn't have daughters.

"She got a name?" Daryl asked.

"Lily," Tara sighed, tilting her head slightly to look at the baby girl. Daryl watched her for a moment. She seemed almost calm as she looked at her baby. Then she turned back to him, "Please…"

He bowed his head and sighed. Taking care of a baby wasn't part of the plan, at least not until Lil' Asskicker came into the picture, but he knew he had to. This little baby was his blood and Merle had wanted him to go and get her. He remembered on the first dream conversation with his brother and how Merle said that there was something in that bar that would make him think a little more on attacking the governor. If this kid was so damn important, Daryl would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

"I'll take care of her," Daryl promised. Tara smiled a little, as if he had just taken the weight of the world off of her shoulders. He supposed that he had and that he had put it all on his own shoulders.

"Ya find Merle…punch him in the face for me," she murmured, closing her eyes. Daryl chuckled a little, but it was a hollow sound. The woman was dying.

"Is she gone?" Andrea asked in a whisper. Daryl reached over and pressed his fingers to Tara's neck. There was no pulse.

"Yeah. She's gone."

At that moment, the baby let out a whimper from her set of rags. Andrea and Daryl looked at each other. Daryl was closer and gently lifted the baby out of the rags.

"Hey, Kid, how ya doin'?" Daryl whispered, holding her up to inspect her.

"She's filthy," Andrea observed, "She needs a bath. Probably needs fed too. How are we going to do this?"

"There's a pharmacy down the street. Sure as shit they have some baby crap," Daryl remembered, glancing around the room. He noticed some paper towel and a couple bottles of water, "Grab me them towels and water. Some sheets too," he requested, carrying the infant to a table and waited as Andrea grabbed the necessary items. He wet down the paper towel. He gently rubbed her with it, taking away the blood and filth. The baby was filthy. No one had really taken the time to wash her off and now she was covered in her own filth. He hoped that he was gentle enough. Aside from feeding and holding Judith, Daryl had been pretty hands off with the prison's baby. Hell, if there was any sign that she needed changed, he passed her off to the next person as if she was a hot potato. Now here he was, washing all kinds of disgusting crap from his new niece. Niece. The thought brought a small smile to his lips.

Then she opened her eyes to look at him. They were blue and held nearly the exact same shape as Merle's eyes.

"She's beautiful," Andrea breathed, "If you can get passed all the crap she's covered in."

"Dixons were meant to be dirty," Daryl replied, smiling a little as the baby scowled as he wiped at her face with a new paper towel. She moved her hands as if to try to bat him away. Daryl chuckled.

"Yup. I reckon you're ya father's daughter," he told the baby, "Ya already got his damn face. Sorry, Kid."

Andrea chuckled, "She's definitely a lot prettier than her father," she corrected him, "I can't believe we found a baby…Merle's baby."

"Yeah, no kidding," Daryl agreed as he tossed the paper towel aside, "but the fucker never bothered to use a damn rubber or else he wouldn't have spent my damn money on prescriptions for his burnin' dick."

"Ugh, you sure know how to paint a picture," Andrea cringed, "What are we going to do after we hit the pharmacy? We can't take a baby on the bike."

"We'll find a truck," Daryl decided, "We can load up the bike later."

"Why not just leave the bike-"

"I ain't leavin' my damn bike!" he growled, "Wrap the kid up in those old bed sheets. I'm gonna try and shift some of this shit at the door. Ain't crawlin' out a window with a baby."

There was a sound from behind them. They both turned and saw Tara's form sit up with no difficulty. Her green eyes were cloudy, red and bloodshot. She let out a snarl. Daryl cursed his stupidity. He had been so focused on the baby that he had forgotten to make sure that Tara wouldn't come back.

"What the-"

"Hold the fuckin' kid," Daryl ordered, unsheathing his knife and bringing it through Tara's eye. She fell to the floor with a thud. The baby was startled by the noise and let out a whimper from Andrea's arms. Daryl glanced back at Andrea and his niece. The blond was pale with her eyes wide and her mouth gaping opened. Daryl cussed in his head.

Andrea had just discovered one of the best kept secrets of the apocalypse.

**TBC**

**This was one of the first chapters for this story that I had written. Originally, Daryl went at it alone, but after lots of thought, I decided he ought to take Andrea with him. It builds on her confidence and establishes a friendship between them. Plus, it shows that he can't do anything without people anymore. Also, Barksdale comes from the Survival Instinct video game (which I read about and then picked up last week. Cool game, but I forgot that I'm rubbish at xbox so I've killed Daryl more than a few times...whoops) and I am only describing it in the generalist terms as I have a long way to go before I hit that point. **

**Next chapter: Daryl and Andrea make their way out of Barksdale and run into an old acquaintance.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	22. Strays

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Daryl and Andrea escape Barksdale.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 21: Strays**

_So if you're feeling all alone remember good times or remember home  
And if you question all that you see remember that you always got a friend in me  
Cause I know we all gotta grow_

These days everybody wants to find out how the story ends  
So we say nothing is a possibility if you don't got your friends  
And I know as time goes you'll be fast and firm slow and we'll find  
Are tempo cause we may never know how the story ends  
But you and me will always be...  
**…Hedley - Friends**

* * *

Daryl watched Andrea with reservation. This secret wasn't supposed to be revealed to Andrea for quite some time and sure as shit, she would tell the others when they got back. It wouldn't be a back thing; they all needed to understand that this was their norm now. The only problem was Rick, who probably wouldn't be able to keep his damn mouth shut about knowing that no matter how they died, they would turn. That certainly would not earn the leader any brownie points with anyone, least of all Shane.

"She said she wasn't bit or scratched," Andrea gasped, her wide and terrified eyes staring at the corpse on the floor.

"She weren't," Daryl sighed, putting his knife back, "She turned without bein' bit."

"How's that possible?" Andrea demanded. Daryl breathed, wondering if he should reveal what he knew. He decided against it for the time being. He already came off like he knew everything. He didn't need to add to it.

"Hell if I fuckin' know," Daryl growled, moving to shift some of the objects blocking the door.

"What does this mean?" Andrea wondered, "Does that mean that we all turn?"

Daryl grunted in reply, choosing to remain silent.

"Aren't you a little more concerned?" Andrea then shot at him. No, Daryl thought, because I knew all this before.

"Can we fuckin' deal with this once we get out of this shithole?" he snapped back at her, "Keep wipin' the kid and I'll shift some of this shit."

He did his part and Andrea did hers, swaddling the baby in the dirty white sheets. When he cleared the door, he glanced back at the blond holding the baby. He made a decision then, that as much as he trusted Andrea, he didn't trust her as much as he trusted himself. He unzipped his jacket and grabbed an extra sheet to tie around his neck. Andrea frowned at him, "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Gonna make a sling for her. I'm carryin' her," he grunted. Andrea's eyebrows flew to her hairline.

"Daryl, you're the better fighter-"

"Which is exactly why I'm takin' the baby," Daryl snapped as he pulled on his makeshift sling to test his knot. Satisfied, he reached for the baby, "She's my kin. I'll take her," he said firmly, gently placing the baby in the sling. The baby protested a little bit, but Daryl soothed her. He then zipped his jacket. He looked down and he could see the top of her head. She looked quite snug, actually.

"I hope this is a good idea," Andrea said.

"Quit complainin' and cover me," Daryl said shortly. He was careful about how he held his bow as they made their way down the stairs to the door, leaving the bodies of Tara and her friend inside to rot away. He moved slowly, not wanting to jostle the baby or alert any walkers. When they got down into the empty bar, they glanced out the window at the street. There were a couple vehicles out there along with the walkers they had let out of the bar earlier.

"I count eleven," Andrea said to him. Daryl chewed on his lip.

"Same. Few too many for ya to take out alone," he hissed, picking up a couple of empty beer bottles, "Gonna try to distract them."

"But we could fight them!" Andrea hissed, "If you cover me with the bow…"

"It's dangerous!" Daryl whispered back.

"I can do this!" her face was set with fierce determination. She needed to do this and prove to herself that she could kill walkers on her own. In truth, it was a decent plan and it would make their lives easier in the long run. The only drawback was the number of arrows that he possessed: eight. Ideally, that would leave her with three walkers to kill, assuming his aim was true.

"Ya wanna do it, fine, but I only have eight arrows. Ya still gonna have to do a bit of work," he cautioned. She nodded.

"Let's do it," she said. Daryl eased the door opened and took his first shot at the closest walker. It fell before it realized what happened. Loading the bow was tricky as he was mindful of the baby under his jacket. Then he took out a second walker.

"Go. See if ya can toss me an arrow back if ya can," he instructed. Andrea lunged forward, sprinting down the street. She was fast, employing the techniques he had showed Amy that first day of training. He covered her as best as he could, but when he shifted positions so he could get the ones farther back, he threw off his aim trying not to jostle the baby and a bolt uselessly hit a walker in the shoulder. It knocked the walker back and Andrea was able to stab it in the side of the head. Moments later, the street was clear. Andrea had managed to take out five with Daryl took down six.

"I did it!" Andrea grinned, plucking an arrow from a walker's skull. Daryl couldn't help but grin back.

"Hell yeah, ya did," he chuckled, bending to retrieve his arrows. Baby Lily protested and made frustrated sounds from his jacket. Daryl glanced down at the baby and noticed she was trying to suck his shirt.

"What's wrong with her?" Andrea asked worriedly, approaching him, "Did she get hurt?"

"She's fuckin' hungry," Daryl groaned, "C'mon let's get to the pharmacy before she attracts every walker in the state to us."

Their target was a block away and sitting outside of it were two vehicles: a green minivan and a red four-door dodge truck. He would be going for the truck. No matter what, ain't no damn Dixon was gonna drive a damn minivan. As they approached, they noticed two walkers hovering near the van.

"What's with them?" Andrea wondered.

"Dunno," Daryl murmured, firing an arrow and killing a male walker. Andrea took down the female walker with her knife. He had to admit that she was getting better with it. There was a ruckus coming from inside the van, probably what had attracted the walkers in the first place. Daryl and Andrea both crept forward to look inside the window. Daryl immediately wished he hadn't.

A toddler, maybe three or so, was scrambling about, blood dripping from its mouth. It was a male, trapped in the car and there were no discernible wounds on it. The child had probably died in the car from starvation or heat stroke when its parents had failed to come back. He assumed that the parents were probably dead out there somewhere. Next to the toddler walker, there was an infant car seat, drenched in blood. Daryl felt sick, knowing that the toddler walker had probably eaten his baby sibling.

"Oh my god," Andrea gasped, taking a back from the van. Daryl forced himself to breathe.

"Let's get inside and then get the fuck outta here," he ordered, pushing open the pharmacy door. A little bell sounded overhead and he cursed the shopkeeper who came running at them, undead and looking for human flesh. Andrea defended him while he trained his bow on the dead pharmacist, putting it down. At this point it was hard to ignore Lily's hungry squawks from inside Daryl's jacket. He and Andrea moved down the aisles until they found the one they needed.

"The baby section seems pretty intact," Andrea observed, grabbing a package of bottles and ripping away the plastic. Daryl tossed her a can of baby formula, not bothering to answer that the young were likely the first to perish in the apocalypse, which was why the baby section was untouched. Andrea prepared a bottle using a water bottle from her bag. As she did, Daryl surveyed the shelves. There was formula, diapers, blankets, bottles, and even baby clothes. They'd be taking all of that. Lily was full out crying now as Daryl unzipped his coat and eased the nipple of the bottle into the infant's mouth. She sucked greedily at it.

"It's probably too cold," Andrea worried.

"Ain't nothin' we can do there, eh, Lil?" Daryl replied, swaying slightly as the baby drank, "Somethin's better than nothin'."

He paid little mind as Andrea settled on the floor and dug into her pack for two granola bars. She set one aside for him before she tore into hers. She chuckled as she looked up at him, "Who'd have thought when we headed out today that you of all people would end up holding a baby?"

"Ha ha. You're hilarious, Smart Ass," Daryl griped.

"Where'd you learn that?" Andrea wondered as she drank a bit of water to wash down her granola snack, "Even I'm not that good with babies."

Daryl could hardly say that he had learnt a good deal from a baby that had yet to be born so he decided on the truth, "My pa rarely took to spendin' money on things like food or heatin', 'specially after my mom died. Merle was usually in and out of juvie, so it kinda fell on me to try to provide for myself. Got a job mowin' lawns. One house I did, Mrs. Creasy, was a widow. Her husband died gettin' hit by a drunk driver. Left her to raise three lil' kids alone. Sometimes after mowin', she'd ask me to watch 'em while she ran to the store or somethin'. Always paid me a bit extra and sometimes if it got real late, she'd make me dinner. Was fine with me. Was better off outta the house when Pa was 'round anyhow," he explained.

"Daryl Dixon: hunter, walker-killer, lawn-boy, and babysitter," Andrea listed.

"All four of them beat the hell outta bein' a lawyer," Daryl shot at her, grinning. She rolled her eyes.

"I've heard that can be said for most careers, actually," she sighed, "Better anything than a lawyer. I wanted to make a difference, you know? Then my mom pointed out that I'm so good at arguing, that I should go to law school. Then my dad, teachers, relatives, and friends were saying it too. It kind of snowballed from there."

"Well, ya can be a pain in the ass sometimes," Daryl muttered, grinning over at her to show he was joking.

"If I'm such a pain in the ass, then why the hell did you ask me to come with you?" Andrea asked, crossing her arms.

"Carol wanted ya with me to back me up," Daryl shrugged.

"And you didn't want me here at all?" Andrea scoffed, "Jeez, I feel loved."

He chuckled, glancing down at Lily, "Probably a good thing ya are here," he admitted, "It's a good idea to actually see real combat. Ya never know when things are gonna go south."

Andrea frowned, "What, you think we're gonna get attacked?"

"I think it's inevitable," Daryl confirmed, "No doubt somethin's gonna hit the farm. It ain't paradise. Eventually somethin's gonna stumble onto it and it's gonna be bad 'cause, 'specially if we let our guard down."

"So that's why we train so hard?" Andrea wondered, "Because something's coming?"

"Why not?" Daryl shrugged, "If all of us know how to defend ourselves we have a better shot. 'Sides if somethin' did happen to the farm and we had to get off of it, then chances are some of us could end up alone and separated from the others. I'd rather that person know how to survive rather than just roll over and be walker chow," he told her, wary as he came dangerously close to telling her of her fate in two days from now.

"Wouldn't the group look for them?" she questioned, watching as he set the bottle on the shelf and positioned the baby to burp her. He really wasn't one-hundred percent sure on the process, but he had seen Carol and Beth do it a hundred times.

"I'd like to think so, but it depends on the situation," Daryl said slowly, knowing that they did not go looking for Andrea when she disappeared.

"Alright," Andrea said slowly, "Say we get back to the farm and tomorrow a herd of a hundred walkers rolls into the farm and we can't fight them off. Say I have to make a break for it through the forest while the rest of you leave. Would you look for me?"

Daryl bit his lip. That's almost exactly what happened, except it would be the day after tomorrow and there would be several hundred corpses taking over the farm. He sighed, "I'd like to think we would, but at the same time, findin' ya in the woods while we're god knows where would be a hard and dangerous sell. Of course we'd be lookin' for signs of ya wherever we went, but we'd have to take care of ourselves first."

"We looked for you and Sophia," Andrea pointed out, a frown on her face.

"I know that, but the difference was that there weren't hundreds of corpses around," Daryl said, "A good number would follow us off the farm and a good number would take off after ya. We'd each have our own problems and by the time we'd get a chance to look, ya would probably be long gone."

Andrea considered that for a moment, "It sucks, but I guess you are right. Let's just hope that doesn't happen."

"Can hope all we want, but it won't change much. Just know if it did, I'd be lookin' for ya," Daryl grunted, returning Lily to her sling, "Be best when we get back that we talk to Rick 'bout a plan in case we do have to check out in a hurry. For now, though, let's gather up this shit. We'll stack it all by the door so it'll be easier to load up."

The pharmacy proved to be a goldmine. They cleared out the baby aisle, grabbing enough supplies to last them for a good long while. Daryl checked out the medicine dispensary and found several useful painkillers, antibiotics, and a couple other things that Hershel could probably identify. Andrea found a few ready-made first-aid kits and stocked up on feminine hygiene products. In a small hardware section, Daryl round some rope that he could use to tie his bike down. They had a pretty impressive haul on were ready to move it all to the truck. On instinct, Daryl reached up and tore down the bell above the door.

"Alright," Daryl said, "Ya take the lil' one and I'll get the truck goin'. Then we'll get this loaded and get the fuck out of here."

A couple of false starts later and he had the red dodge roaring to life. He checked the fuel levels and grinned when he saw that they had three-quarters of a tank. It would be more than enough to get home. He left the truck running as he moved to help Andrea with the supplies. He loaded up the backseat while Andrea covered him. It was hardly necessary as then only walker around was the little toddler trapped in the van.

"Are we just going to leave it?" Andrea wondered, leaning against the passenger door, "We should put it to rest."

Daryl swallowed uncomfortably. This was the part of the apocalypse that he hated with every fibre of his being. He sighed, "Fine. You and Lily get in the truck. Be there in a minute."

He tried the door of the van, but it was locked. He had no choice up to grab a tire iron that was on the ground next to a severed hand. With a jolt, he thought of Merle. He shook it off. He needed to focus. He jabbed the tire iron into the side window and then into the snarling toddler's brain as it tried to crawl through to him. The stench of blood and death escaped from the van and Daryl was once again forced to look at the bloody infant seat. He willed back the vomit. There was no way what was left of the baby would turn; its sibling had made sure of that. For a moment, Daryl thought about taking the infant car seat for Lily, but the thought of the baby girl sitting in the bloodied remains of a less fortunate baby was not something he could bear. He'd find one later.

He shook it off and got into the driver's side. He said nothing to Andrea, who was holding Baby Lily in her arms. For a moment, he glanced down at his niece, realizing that had they not come to Barksdale when they did, she would be dead right now, mauled by her undead mother, sharing the fate of the unknown baby in the minivan.

"Are you okay?" Andrea asked softly. He brought his eyes up to lock with her blue-green eyes.

"Ain't the first kid to die in this world. Ain't gonna be the last neither," he said, putting the truck into gear and pulling away, "Ain't got no car seat so ya need to hold her. Drop her and I put an arrow in ya ass," Daryl threatened.

"I'm sorry-"

"Just don't, alright?" Daryl snapped, "Ain't nothin' I can do now 'cept make sure my niece don't end up like that."

Andrea was silent as they drove to pick up the bike, something Daryl was thankful for. She almost looked like she wanted to reach out and touch him, but she didn't. Finally, she spoke.

"We never talked about Tara turning," she commented.

"What's there to talk 'bout?" Daryl asked.

"We know she wasn't bit or scratched, but she turned anyway when she died," Andrea stated, "Was it just her or is that going to happen to all of us?"

Daryl shrugged his shoulders, but then he cursed, "FUCK!"

"What-" Andrea's question was made unnecessary as she saw what made him swear. Four men, living men, were walking around his bike. One man was trying to flag them down.

"What do we do?" Andrea gasped.

"Based on what went down in town to Tara's group, we keep our guard up," he said, pulling to the side of the road, "Put Lily in the backseat, cover her with my jacket, and getcha damn gun out," he instructed. He then got out of the truck before any of the men could approach him.

"What's up, Man? Ya livin'?" one of the men, a skinny bastard with close-cropped hair and a stupid goatee, asked.

"Reckon I am," Daryl grunted, "Whatcha doin' out here?"

"Saw this sweet ride. Figuring out who gets it," shrugged a short Asian guy with his hair pulled back in a ponytail. A larger man loomed in the back, his meaty arms crossed over his chest. The fourth man…or rather…boy who was standing behind the other two. With a jolt, Daryl realized that he recognized the kid from Atlanta. It was Miguel, the runty Spanish kid who had run with the Vatos. From the looks of it, he recognized Daryl too, a look of undisguised panic on his face as he shook his head from behind the bog boy, a clear indication that Daryl should keep quiet. Miguel was covered in old injuries, bruises and cuts, and his right hand was wrapped in a bandage. Daryl got the message loud and clear.

"Can help ya with that," Daryl gestured to the motorcycle, "It's mine."

The skinny guy laughed, "You're funny, Man. Looks like you already got yourself a sweet ride. Hell, looks better than the bike."

"We could offer a trade, though," the Asian stated, his eyes on the truck. Daryl didn't need to turn around to know that he was looking at Andrea.

"Your woman for your bike," the heavy-set guy bargained. Daryl's eyes flickered to Miguel, who looked like he was going to wet himself in his panic. The kid's eyes were wide and fearful.

"Not a chance in hell," Daryl snarled. The skinny guy grinned like he had won the lottery.

"Have it your way, Friend," he said, going for the gun on his holster. Daryl was quicker, grabbing his and shooting the skinny bastard in the forehead. There was a scuffle to the right. Miguel had jumped on the big guy's back to distract him. The Asian crumpled to the ground, a bullet hole in his forehead courtesy of Andrea. The big man had Miguel on the ground and was beating the shit out of him. Daryl ended that, putting a bullet into the man's back. The man fell dead on top of Miguel, crushing the kid until Daryl pulled the body away.

"What the fuck was that?" Daryl demanded, reaching down to help Miguel to his feet.

"Ain't you a sight for sore eyes, _Vato_," Miguel panted, new marks already appearing on his body.

"Daryl?" Andrea questioned, walking over, her gun drawn. Miguel immediately threw his hands up in the air in surrender.

"I'm not a threat!" the boy protested in fear.

"Easy there, compadre," Daryl chided, "Andrea, this here is Miguel. One of the Vatos in Atlanta."

"I thought they all died," Andrea replied, not lowering her gun.

"We was attacked," Miguel announced quickly, "People were shootin' at us from all directions. Our people were goin' down. Guillermo, Jorge, and all the rest! Me and Felipe ran for it, but he got shot. He bled out and then became one of those things. I put my cousin down and got the hell out of the city. I'm the only one left," he said, tears starting to fill his eyes.

"What the hell's all this?" Daryl wondered, "The boys you were runnin' with sure as hell weren't too damn friendly."

"They picked me up on the side of the road," Miguel explained, "_Quince hombres_. Thought I was a goner 'til they showed up. Gave me food, protection. I thought it was okay 'til they…they…"

"They what?" Daryl demanded.

"I was with 'em on a raid. We came across a small group: three men, two women, and two kids. Douglas…him," Miguel spat, kicking the slim corpse on the ground, "He shot the men. Took the women and kids back…the leader…he's some sick fuck. _Loco_. He had all four of 'em in his tent. Didn't know what was goin' on. Then one woman and a kid died. I was ordered to help take 'em out. I was in the tent and I saw that the other woman and kid were naked and tied up," Miguel was shaking now, wrapping his arms around himself, "I tried to help them! I snuck back in. I was caught untying them! The beat on me. Leader said I needed to be punished for tryin' to take what was his. Gave me this," Miguel showed them his bandaged hand.

"What'd they do?" Andrea asked, horrified.

"Burnt it with an iron," the kid answered, "Should be glad it weren't my face like Leon, but their army medic said my right hand is extremely fucked up. They would have killed you, _Amigo_. Took your woman here and…" Miguel trailed off, shuddering.

"Were they the ones who killed those people in town?" Daryl questioned. Miguel nodded.

"They weren't yours were they?" he suddenly demanded, worry on every part of his face, "Not Rick or Glenn or T-Dog?"

"Nah, they weren't ours. We rolled into town lookin' for my brother, Merle. Found-"

"Hold up, Man. I think I hear a _bebé_," Miguel said.

"Ah, shit. That's my niece," Daryl grunted, jogging back to the truck with Andrea and Miguel following. He opened one of the back doors to find little Lily crying from underneath his leather jacket, which to his disgust, was covered in piss.

"Aw, Hell! Dammit, Merle!" Daryl cursed his brother's name and knew that his jackass brother was laughing about this. He hoped that Carol could do something about the jacket.

"We must have forgot to put a diaper on," Andrea laughed as Daryl threw the jacket to the floor and picked up the baby girl.

"Whoa, _Amigo_, you weren't kidding," Miguel whistled as he came up behind Daryl, "Little one ain't that old."

"Born yesterday," Daryl grunted, wiping the baby off and accepting the diaper Andrea grabbed from the back of the truck, "Found her and her mama in the bar in town. Her mama didn't make it."

"And her papa?" Miguel asked, watching Daryl change the infant.

"Lost my brother in Atlanta. Hopin' to run into him at some point," Daryl explained, "Right now I'm all that kid has. If I left her there, she either woulda died of hunger or her mama woulda came back and ate her."

"Good thing you were there. Your timing is good pretty good, Man," Miguel commented.

"It's nearly impeccable," Andrea agreed, "So- SHIT!" she cursed, raising her gun and firing. The large guy that Daryl shot in the back was up walking towards them. She hit the walker in the head and it fell back. She gasped, "It wasn't just Tara! He came back and he wasn't bit!"

"We all come back," Miguel said, "Didn't you know? When we die, we all come back if we don't get killed by a knock to the head."

"We didn't," Andrea replied, "We just found out."

"Bad break," Miguel commented before glancing to Daryl, "You got the diaper on wrong, _Amigo_," he corrected, taking over. Miguel fixed the diaper and Lily looked a bit less miserable than before when Daryl was doing it, "Me and Felipe were the oldest. Had a bunch of little cousins. Picked up a thing or two," the kid shrugged.

"Where's the rest of your group?" Andrea wondered, "Should we be worried about them coming here?" she asked as if she had just thought about it.

"Camped out on a farm a couple miles out. They killed the farmer and his wife," Miguel replied, shaking his head. Then he took on a begging tone "Please don't make me go back! If I do-"

Andrea and Daryl shared a look. Andrea looked unsure, but Daryl nodded.

"Ya saved our lives, Kid. Be a shitty thing to do makin' ya go back to them," he said. Miguel's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Help me load my bike back and we'll both get the fuck out of here," Daryl suggested. Miguel nodded. They set to work loading the bike and tying it down while Andrea watched with the baby in her arms.

"This place far?" Miguel asked, "Your boys there?"

"Took us three hours to get down here. Everybody's there," Daryl said.

"Great!" Miguel cheered, "Let's get outta here."

"Fine by me," Daryl agreed, hopping in the driver's seat. Miguel took the back while Andrea and the baby took the front. With that, he sped off in the direction of home. He thought about his comment before to Rick about picking up strays. He wondered a little how the group was going to react to him picking up two strays of his own. With the way things had been going, he expected that there would be plenty of yelling.

**TBC**

**And I rescued Miguel! He's going to come into play later on and I get to play with him for a bit.**

**Next chapter: Daryl, Andrea, Miguel, and Lily return to the farm to a mixed welcome.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	23. Homecoming

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. A slight warning: my Spanish is limited to whatever google translator tells me. Please feel free to correct me.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 22: Homecoming** ****

_All of my regret Will wash away somehow  
But I cannot forget  
The way I feel right now_

In these small hours  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
These twists & turns of fate

_Time falls away but these small hours  
These small hours, still remain, still remain  
These little wonders  
These twists & turns of fate  
Time falls away  
But these small hours  
These little wonders still remain_  
**…Rob Thomas – Little Wonders**

* * *

Miguel turned out to be a talker and it was a good thing that Andrea was there or else the nineteen-year-old would have driven him nuts, even if Daryl didn't mind him as much as some people. Miguel had told them how he came to join the Vatos with Felipe and had followed his cousin's lead when it came to gang life. He had been protected by Felipe's status in the gang and really only hung around on account of the cars. Apparently the Vatos had some sweet rides and Miguel was a car junkie, which had earned him points with Daryl. Miguel also told them about his cousins and his life on his own, but he clammed up when the conversation turned to the group that had taken him in. At that point, he would glance down at his injured hand and try to even out his breathing.

Miguel had earned another point with Daryl when they stopped to heat up a bottle for Lily on the engine and give her a diaper change. The young vatos had offered his help and handled the baby with extreme care. He was like a one-handed, tattooed nanny. Daryl knew that he would have to watch the kid, but he felt decidedly better about him than he felt about that weasel Randall back at the farm. Once they were about an hour away from the farm, Daryl decided it was time to start cluing Miguel in. The kid wasn't likely to meet a warm welcome and he ought to be prepared.

"So when we get to the farm, it's important that ya let me do the talkin'," Daryl said, "Our group is pretty decent, but we've got a few things we're dealin' with right now."

"Like?" Miguel asked earnestly. It was obvious that the kid was eager to fit in and to be honest, Daryl didn't mind him so much.

"We had a man back at camp named Randall," Andrea said, "He was injured in a shootout with Rick, Glenn, and Hershel and they brought him back to the farm to patch him up. Rick and Shane were going to take him out today and cut him loose."

"You took in a man trying to shoot at you?" Miguel asked.

"Rick has a thing for strays," Daryl snorted.

"It will probably be a little tense around camp," Andrea told him, "Particularly with Shane. He didn't take too kindly to Rick bringing back Randall."

Daryl nodded in agreement, "And when we get there, Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog will vouch for you, but there will be some yellin' from Shane," he warned.

"Shane? Thought your boy Rick was your leader?" Miguel asked.

"He is," Daryl groaned, "Shane just wants to be."

"That's a bad situation," Miguel replied, shaking his head.

"Yeah, and most of us know it," Daryl agreed, "He ain't my biggest fan either. Seems to think I oughta be doin' what he says. I'll probably get an earful when we get back for goin' off today, but I think it was pretty damn worth it," he said, looking down at his sleeping niece in Andrea's arms.

"Absolutely," Andrea agreed, gently rubbing the baby's tiny hand.

"She is somethin' else," Miguel followed, "Never thought I'd see a baby in this fucked up George Romero movie."

Daryl chuckled, "Yeah, well stick with us long enough and ya might see another one. Rick's wife's got one in the oven."

"Ah, good for him," Miguel grinned, "Seems like the fair type. Good dad-material."

"Maybe even more," Andrea chimed in, "With the way Daryl and Carol sneak off at all hours, Lily Dixon could have a cousin on the way."

Daryl turned crimson as he gripped the steering wheel, "We ain't like Glenn and Maggie," he protested.

"Well, Carol's tent wasn't exactly soundproof this morning," Andrea chirped. Daryl rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore her. They continued on their way and Daryl debated where to pull up when they got to the farm. The house might be the best bet. There was a lesser chance of running into Shane, if he and Rick were back yet. He really hoped that they were still off trading haymakers. It would be so much easier if they could get all of this stuff sorted and then duke it out later.

Unfortunately Daryl's hopes were dashed as he pulled into the farm. Shane's car was parked near the shed and the man himself was seated in the middle of camp.

"What's the plan, Professor?" Andrea asked as he drove up to the house.

"Miguel best stay in here. Ya hold onto Lily while I deal with Shane and Rick," Daryl instructed Andrea, pulling up near the house as planned. Amy and Carol flew out of the house to meet them. Carol hugged him while Amy waited for Andrea to get out of the truck.

"I'm glad you're back," Carol whispered in his ear, "Anything?"

"Didn't find Merle, but we found his daughter," Daryl explained.

"Holy shit!" Amy suddenly cursed, "That's a baby!"

Carol looked at him, perplexed as she rounded the truck with Daryl at her heels. Andrea was already there, cradling Lily in her arms while Amy looked on like she had never seen a baby before. Carol looked back at him, "Oh my God. That's Merle's baby?"

"Yeah-"

"Looks like two solo-artists have returned," Shane thundered as he approached, an angry look on his face as Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog chased after him. Daryl had to frown at that. It was a little hard to be a solo-artist when you left as a pair.

"What's his problem?" Andrea asked.

"Shane and Rick got back a while ago with Randall," Amy explained, "Seems they couldn't leave him where they wanted to. Both of them came back looking like they went a couple rounds with Mike Tyson. Shane's still stewing about something and he's looking for a scapegoat."

"He's been cursing your name since he got back," Carol added, looking at Daryl, "I have Sophia in the house with Jacqui and I think you should get in there too."

"Gotta talk to Rick 'bout-"

"Back again, huh, asshole?" Shane's voice carried over to them. Daryl groaned when he saw Shane. A good bruise was showing on his jaw and a cut was on his nose and over his eyes. Daryl sighed and stepped around the women to meet them.

"I need to talk to Rick," Daryl announced.

"Really? That what you need to do?" Shane snapped, getting in his face, "Suppose ya oughta considering you just up and abandoned everyone this morning."

Daryl snapped his head like he was nodding away an irksome fly and repeated, "I need to talk to Rick."

"What do you wanna say, Man?" Shane demanded, "Huh? Wanna explain why you wasted the group's resources to go looking for your drug dealer brother? Was it worth it? Did you find that scumbag?"

Daryl clenched his jaw wanting nothing more than to tell Shane that it was his gas that he used and that the trip to Barksdale was more than worth it. He glanced at the porch and noticed that the Greenes were now curious about the fight. They had assembled out there with Jacqui and Sophia.

"Shane, enough!" Rick called firmly, "Daryl, what do you need to tell me?"

"Didn't find Merle, but I did find his daughter," Daryl announced, "Her mama died not long after I found them and she asked me to take care of the baby."

He heard Carol and Amy gasp behind him. Rick sighed and nodded. Shane rolled his eyes.

"So now we have another mouth to feed?" Shane snapped, "A baby to call all kinds of walkers to us!"

"Shane-" Rick started to scold, but Daryl was already tired of Shane's attitude.

"We was gonna have one anyways in a few months," Daryl shot at him, "Ya ain't gettin' all pissy at Rick and Lori for havin' a kid so why the hell are ya givin' me shit for it?"

Daryl saw a dark look pass over Shane's face when he said Rick's name, but Daryl knew all too well why Shane was fine with Lori's baby and why Shane couldn't say anything in response.

"Any baby is a blessing," Rick said firmly, "This your niece?" the more level-headed cop asked, gesturing to Andrea and the baby, who was protesting loudly at being woken up from her nap.

"Yeah. Ain't more than a day old," Daryl confirmed, drawing a breath, "Somethin' else too. I ran into Miguel from the Vatos."

"Miguel?" T-Dog asked, "He's alive?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, he was the only one who made it out when the place got attacked. When he got out of the city, he was picked up by another group of people that was askin' him to do things he didn't wanna. Ran into him and three others. They tried to attack me and take my stuff, but Miguel saved me. I brought him back too."

"You brought a gang banger here?" Shane demanded, "One that was running with a dangerous crowd? What the hell were you thinking?"

"Miguel isn't a threat," Glenn vouched, "He's just a kid."

"Like that kid who shot at you?" Shane shot at him.

"He ain't anythin' like Randall," Daryl announced.

"I don't trust him!" Shane protested.

"He's a good guy!" Daryl snapped, "He saved my ass back there! He was getting beat on by this other group and wanted to get the hell outta there!"

"I'll talk to him!" Rick cut across Shane, "Shane, head back to camp."

"I'm not going anywhere, Rick," Shane said, crossing his arms. Hershel stepped down onto his top step.

"If you don't mind, I would like to look over the baby and check its health," the old vet said, "Rick, you can bring this young man into the parlour to talk to him."

Daryl smirked as Shane's look soured further. Unless given permission by Hershel, Shane was not allowed inside the house and would therefore have no means to get in there and stir up shit. Daryl knocked twice on the hood.

"Miguel, _vámonos_!" he called. The young man opened his door and stepped out, unsure as he regarded the rest. Andrea passed the baby on to Daryl.

"You take her and I'll go with Rick and Miguel," she offered. Daryl glanced down at baby, seeing that she had calmed some, but she had large tears on her cheeks. The sight nearly brought him to his knees.

"Miguel, good to see you," Rick greeted, coming around, "This here is Hershel. We're going to go into his house and have a little chat."

"Good to see you too, Man," Miguel said, "And congratulations. Hear you're gonna be a papa."

"Thanks. Let's get you inside," Rick said, leading the boy inside with Andrea on his heels. This left Daryl holding the baby and facing Amy and Carol.

"And here I was thinking that 'Daryl Dixon' and 'baby' didn't go together," Amy teased.

"Make yourself useful and grab the baby stuff outta the back," Daryl huffed.

"She's so precious," Carol commented, reaching out to stroke the baby's tiny hand.

"Let's get her inside," Hershel directed. Daryl grinned and walked up the steps with his niece in his arms. He was glad Carol was following him, but wasn't sure when Maggie and Patricia followed. Hershel led them into the kitchen.

"Set her down on the table there," the old man directed. Daryl complied and watched as Hershel held a stethoscope to the baby's chest, "Good strong heartbeat," Hershel commented, "She'll be needing a bath, though. Patricia, could you fill a basin?"

"That's nothin' compared to when we found her," Daryl commented as the blond woman left to run Lily a bath.

"How old is she?" Jacqui asked, coming up beside Carol with Sophia and Maggie in tow.

"Her mom said she was born yesterday," Daryl replied, "Her group got attacked and didn't make it. Was all alone with the kid when we found her."

"And she was your brother's wife?" Hershel asked as he checked the baby's stomach.

"Nah," Daryl said, shaking his head, "Don't think I'd even call her his girlfriend or nothin'."

"Then how do you know for sure that she's Merle's?" Carol asked.

"Tara said he was the dad. Said she ain't been with no one but Merle," Daryl shrugged, "And the kid has his scowl."

"Daryl!" Carol laughed as she scolded him.

"Jeez, Dixon, you rob a baby store?" Amy asked, coming in with armloads of baby stuff,

"Pharmacy," Daryl corrected, "I grabbed some meds too while I was there."

"That's fortunate," Hershel commented dryly, "You people sure know how to use up medical supplies. Now has the baby eaten anything?"

"Fed her a bottle when we found her and another one when we were on the road. Doubt either was warm enough for her," Daryl answered. Hershel nodded.

"Maggie, Sweetheart, could you run and put the kettle on? We'll get her a bath and then a good bottle," he decided, "Has she gone to the bathroom yet?"

"Pissed all over my jacket," Daryl replied sourly, "and we changed a pretty smelly diaper out on the road. Tonto over there says that I'm trash at changing diapers."

"It takes some practice," Hershel assured him with a chuckle.

"Did I hear a baby?" Beth's voice flowed down the stairs. She appeared then, shaky on her feet and as white as a ghost. Jimmy went to help her. Daryl then noticed that her wrist was bandaged.

"Daryl found his niece, Sweetheart," Maggie cooed when she came back in the room, "Do you want to see her? It might make you feel better."

Beth nodded and let Jimmy and Maggie lead her over to the table. One look at the kid had something in Beth's eyes that she would not have until the prison.

"She's pretty," Beth whispered. Maggie then launched into the story of how Daryl and Andrea found the baby and how wonderful it was. When Daryl shot a perplexed glance at Carol, she simply mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.'

Then Patricia came back in with a wash basin filled with warm water. Amy dug around in the baby stuff for some baby soap and Maggie ran off to grab some towels. Hershel chuckled, "Well, Son, you better get over here and learn how to bath her. It won't be the last time she needs one."

Daryl looked positively horrified at the idea. He was fine when he was just wiping her, but holding a wet, slippery, wriggling kid just scared the hell out of him. It must have showed on his face because Carol stepped up, "I can do it," she offered, gently taking Lily from Hershel.

"It's really not that hard, Daryl," she told him, placing the baby feet-first into the water and supporting her head, "There now," she cooed to the baby as she scooped water over her. Though Daryl had seen this ritual performed with Judith dozens of times, he was still in awe as Carol gently bathed the baby…and he was still happy as hell that he didn't have to.

"She likes it," Amy smiled as the baby wriggled a little and stared up at them with her big blue eyes.

"Good thing," Carol said, "Sophia would scream every single time I put her in the water."

"I did?" Sophia chirped as she moved in front of Amy.

"Oh yeah," Carol laughed, "It wasn't until you had your first bubble bath that you finally started to like it."

"What's her name?" Sophia asked Daryl. Suddenly everyone was looking at him. In the thick of all the excitement, they had forgotten the most important question.

"Uh, Lily. Her mama called her Lily," Daryl answered, his eyes still on his niece as Carol washed her.

"I like it," Sophia announced.

"Me too," Amy agreed, "It's pretty."

"I think Lily Dixon is going to be the cleanest Dixon for miles," Andrea commented, coming back into the room. Daryl rolled his eyes, but kept them fixed on the wet baby in the basin.

"You know, Son, we still have Beth's old bassinet upstairs," Hershel suggested, "We can set that up in the downstairs bedroom and you can stay in there with her. The nights are really too cold for a baby to be in a tent."

Daryl was stunned, but he appreciated it, "Thanks. Yeah, that'd be good."

The kettle whistled and Maggie went to retrieve it.

"Have a baby and get a room upgrade," Andrea commented, "Good to know."

"Well if you want one, there's Shane or Dale. Take your pick," Amy replied. Andrea shot her sister a withering look. Daryl paid them little attention, as Lily had now been deemed clean enough to come out of the bath. When his niece was safely out of the basin, he let out a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding. He was definitely glad he was not the one doing it.

"All done," Carol said, wrapping the baby in a towel and rocking her in her arms.

"Here," Maggie said, passing Carol a bottle. Daryl watched as she fed the baby, swaying slightly as she did so. Sure, Daryl had seen her do it with Judith every time the kid needed fed, but there was something different about this. It took him a second to pinpoint what it was, but then he had it. Carol was rocking a little Dixon in her arms. Daryl couldn't help but wonder about the little Dixon that was lost in the future, if she would have held their baby like that had they not lost it. He felt an acute ache in his chest that he had never felt before when he thought of his unborn child. He hadn't known how to process it then and back then, his only concern was Carol. He swallowed and watched as Lily finished the bottle and was burped. Then she was given a clean diaper and Amy had dug her out a onesie from the baby supplies.

"We're trying to figure what to do about Miguel," Andrea said, oblivious to the fact that he was so focused on the baby that he barely registered what she was saying, "Rick says he seems harmless, but we're trying to figure where to put him. I'm going to head out and ask if Glenn and T have room for him."

"I'll come with you," Jacqui offered.

Then they disappeared and left Daryl to watch as Carol dressed the baby into the pink outfit Amy had chosen. He doubted he'd ever be able to wrangle the kid into one of those.

"Maggie, why don't you take Beth and Sophia upstairs to set up that bassinet?" Hershel suggested, "I've got some things to discuss with Rick."

This left Daryl with Carol and Amy. Patricia and Jimmy busied themselves with something outside. He hadn't even heard them leave.

"Do you want to hold her?" Carol offered the baby back to him, now dressed and wrapped in a light green baby blanket. He mutely took her and just stared at the baby. He felt Carol's hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry if I overstepped anything by washing her-"

His head snapped up, "Course not," he assured her, "Glad ya did. Ain't all that damn good with babies."

"Jesus, what are you going to do when she wakes up in the middle of the night with a shitty diaper?" Amy wondered, snickering slightly at the way he paled.

"Fuck."

"She looks a lot better, _Amigo_," Miguel said. Daryl looked up and noticed the skinny young man standing in the foyer with Rick, who was smiling.

"Carol, Amy, I don't think you've met Miguel yet," Rick introduced, "Miguel, this is Andrea's sister, Amy, and Daryl's…girlfriend? Carol."

"Nice to meet you," Miguel said, leaning forward to shake hands.

"Likewise," Amy said, plastering on the biggest smile Daryl had ever seen on her face, "So you're the vatos?"

"And you're the _hermana_," Miguel replied, his lips quirking into a grin.

"My Spanish is disgraceful," Amy admitted.

"You're the sister," Miguel translated, "and a hell of a good lookin' one too."

"Thank you," Amy replied, blushing slightly, "I like your tattoos."

"Maybe Amy will take you to see Andrea and T-Dog, Miguel," Rick suggested, fighting back a grin. Amy's face lit up.

"You should definitely come with me," she told the young man.

"With pleasure, _hermosa guía_," Miguel willing went with the young woman and followed her into the night. Rick chuckled.

"Andrea is not going to like this," he predicted, laughing, "Especially if he calls Amy his 'beautiful guide' again."

"I think it just got a bit more interesting around here," Carol agreed, "So he's safe?"

"He was caught in a bad situation," Rick said, "Hell, he only had a pocket knife and he handed that right over. He's a good kid and I trust Daryl's judgement."

"The hell happened to ya today?" Daryl wondered, getting a good look at Rick for the first time. He had similar war wounds as Shane's.

"Shane and I worked a few things out," Rick shrugged, "We had to bring Randall back. Seems he knew Maggie. He would know how to get back to the farm. We're going to have to find another way to deal with him. Can I count on your help tomorrow?" he asked.

"Course," Daryl agreed, nodding his head.

"Good," Rick sighed, "I also want to talk to you and Andrea about a few things tomorrow. About Tara's death," he hinted. Daryl nodded, pleased that his leader was keeping his head about the revelation regarding the creation of the walkers. Then Rick straightened, "I'm going to get outside for now. Last thing I want is for Shane to get into it with Miguel. Congratulations on becoming an uncle."

He left too, now leaving Daryl with Carol. She smiled at him, "I should probably collect Sophia and head back too," she said. Daryl frowned. He did not want her to go. He wanted her to stay with him. After being apart from her, all he wanted was to be by her side and now that he had the littlest Dixon to care for, he realized something. He wanted nothing more than to care for a family with her. He wanted the two of them to seize this chance that they had been denied in the other timeline, in the future. In the other timeline, both of them had been alone. Sophia and Lily had been dead and their future child had never got the chance to live. Now, between them, they had two girls to care for and raise. They had a chance to be even more than what they were in the future. He swallowed.

"Stay?" he asked. Carol paused and frowned a little.

"Stay?" she echoed curiously. He cleared his throat.

"You and Soph should stay with me here in the house," Daryl clarified, feeling nervous, "Could set up somethin' on the floor for her. Ya could take the bed with me…if ya want."

"You really want us here?" Carol questioned. He nodded.

"Yeah. Missed ya both today. Ain't fair for me to be inside when ya have to freeze out there. 'Sides…Lil seems to like ya damn near as much as I do," he told her, smiling slightly, "Don't ever doubt that I want ya here."

Her hand that was resting on his shoulder moved to his neck and her fingers trace his jaw, "Do you think Hershel would allow it? I wouldn't want to impose and there are others who ought to be in the house more than me. Lori-"

"Lori can stay in her tent with her husband," Daryl told her firmly, "Only one woman I'm ever thinkin' 'bout."

She leaned in then and kissed him, and he used his free hand to grip her close, mindful of the baby in his lap.

Hershel proved to be perfectly fine with Carol and Sophia staying with Daryl. As Lily slept in her new bassinet and as Sophia snuggled into her blankets on the cot Daryl had put together for her, Daryl pulled Carol's warm body towards him in the soft bed and let sleep take him.

**_Daryl knew he was in the dream world. He opened his eyes and jumped to his feet, startling his approaching brother._**

**_"A BABY?" Daryl exclaimed, "You sent me to Barksdale to get a baby?!"_**

**_Merle cringed and held his hands up, "Take it easy there, Brother."_**

**_"Don't tell me to take it easy!" Daryl protested, "I think I'm damn well justified in givin' ya shit for it. Ya shoulda manned up from the get go."_**

**_"Easy for ya to say, Family Man."_**

**_"Ya shoulda took care of ya shit, Man," Daryl chided, "She woulda died if I hadn't come across her! She's your damn kid!"_**

**_"She is," Merle groaned, confirming it to be true, "That bitch Tara was right, okay?"_**

**_Daryl half-expected his brother to deny that the baby was his, so he calmed down some when Merle confirmed it. Instead, he said, "That's the mother of your child you're talkin' 'bout, Merle! Why the hell didn't ya get me to go sooner? I coulda saved her and ya kid!"_**

**_"If ya went sooner, ya would have died!" Merle shot back, "The group she was with probably woulda killed ya if they knew ya was my brother-"_**

**_"Pfft. Makin' friends everywhere, I see," Daryl grumbled._**

**_"And then ya would run across them pricks that beat up on ya pal Tonto!" Merle revealed, "Ya woulda tried to fight 'em and ya woulda been killed and Tara and the kid woulda died too!"_**

**_Daryl hefted out a sigh, but calmed down, "So now what?" he demanded, "You do realize that in two days that gigantic herd from hell is gonna be rippin' through that farm and that we're gonna be forced out on the road with your kid, right?"_**

**_"I know!" Merle groaned, running his hands through his short hair, "I fuckin' know, alright? I'm workin' on it!"_**

**_"Workin' on it, how?" Daryl questioned, "I thought ya were supposed to give me advice?"_**

**_"I'm tryin' to get ya better advice!" Merle snapped._**

**_"Then why're ya here?" Daryl asked, "These damn dreams aren't very restful and from what I hear, I ain't gonna be gettin' much in the way of sleep with ya kid screamin'."_**

**_Here, Merle shuffled uneasily, bringing his eyes up to his brother's almost like he was embarrassed. Then he said, in probably the quietest voice Daryl had ever heard him use, the last thing he expected, "Wanted to say thank ya."_**

**_Daryl gaped at him, "What?"_**

**_Merle let out a long moan, "Ya done rescued my kid. Thank ya. Make sure ya keep her safe now…take care of her. Ya always were the sweet one."_**

**_Far off in the distance, Daryl heard a baby's whimper. He groaned, "Great. Sounds like ya damn kid is awake."_**

**_"Yeah, that'd be Lil' Whoops," Merle sighed, then his face split into a grin, "Best be gettin' up, Baby Brother. Ya got shit to clean up," he said gleefully._**

**_"Dammit, Merle!" Daryl groaned. Merle's grin widened as he began to fade._**

**_"Whatcha bellyaching for, Brother? Good practice for ya and Mouse."_**

**_"What?" Daryl asked, frowning, "Merle!"_**

**_"What? Don't getcha panties in a twist, Darylina," Merle chuckled, "Was talkin' 'bout that lil' asskickin' baby that ain't got no mama and has a pa on the crazy train." _**

**_Daryl was still frowning as he was taken from the dream world to tend his niece. _**

**TBC**

**And so they've returned to the farm and Merle's said his bit. I'm trying to think of a good nickname for the baby, but all I've come up with is Lil' Whoops since Asskicker is taken. Any suggestions are welcome!**

**Next chapter: Rick asks Daryl to have a conversation with the prisoner.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	24. Judge

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. I really can't wait for some of the later chapters. For this chapter, though, you might want to prepare to melt as Daryl bonds with his niece. **

**A warning: mentions rape. **

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 23: Judge**

_You act like you wonder,_  
_ If I know if I know right from wrong,_  
_ Believe me, I understand._

_I get so defensive,_  
_ Because I try so hard,_  
_ Believe me I understand._

_I only ever got this far,_  
_ Because I am who I am._

_ And I am haunted by the things that you're saying to me,_  
_ As we smile into the faces of our enemies._  
_ And I'll try to defend our lives,_  
_ So you'll understand._  
_ That I won't let you down._  
**...Jon Heintz - Defending Our Lives**

* * *

Daryl opened his eyes and noticed that it was dawn, though he had already been up several times since cozying up with Carol the night before. He did alright with feeding his squawking niece, but when it came to the diapers, Carol had woken up twice to his curses as he tried to figure out the diaper changing and had come to his aid. Sophia, on the other hand, seemed to sleep like a rock.

Now, though, Sophia seemed curious, looking down at the wriggling infant inside the bassinet with wonder on her young face. Careful to avoid waking Carol, Daryl eased out of bed wearing sleep pants borrowed from Hershel. The shirt had been discarded at around three in the morning when Lily spit up all over him.

"Wanna hold her?" Daryl whispered. Sophia nodded her head. Daryl gestured to a chair in the corner of the room. Sophia sat there, waiting as he gently picked Lily up and carried her over, "Support her head and neck," Daryl directed, placing the baby into the girl's arms, "Hold her there and I'll be back with a bottle."

With that, Daryl left to the kitchen where he put the kettle on and prepared the bottle and formula.

"Sleep well, Son?" Hershel asked, making the younger man jump out of his skin. Daryl turned to find Hershel leaning against the door way and sipping on a cup of tea.

"Was up every couple hours," Daryl yawned. Hershel chuckled.

"Heard as much," the old man said, "One thing that's always stuck with me is the cry of a baby. Raised three of my own. Wake up on instinct now."

"Sorry. Carol said the same," Daryl told him, "She woke up nearly every damn time that I did. Had to tell her to go back to sleep."

"You're a good man, Son. You'll make an excellent father one day. If I'm correct, a far better one than the type that fathered us," Hershel said, leaving then to go sit out on his porch. Daryl pondered his words and then realized that Hershel had seen his scars and had correctly guessed what had caused them because it was possible that Hershel had similar ones. Daryl wasn't the only one with a bastard father. He let out a long sigh and readied the bottle. He took it back to the lower bedroom that he now shared with his girls. Carol was still asleep and Sophia was still in the chair, engaging in some kind of staring contest with the baby.

"Here," Daryl said, easing the bottle past the baby's lips and offering it to Sophia to hold. He knelt in front of her and watched as the baby sucked greedily at the bottle.

"She was hungry," Sophia whispered, smiling.

"Nah, she just drinks like her dad," Daryl chuckled, "Lil' thing's been drinkin' every damn bottle like it's her last. Seen Merle do the same with whiskey."

"I'm glad you brought her back, Daryl," Sophia said, "She's kinda like a doll."

"More looks like a hairless monkey to me," Daryl joked, "Again, like Merle."

Sophia laughed as Lily finished her bottle. Daryl reached out to take the baby, "Alright, Rabbit, ya take this back to the kitchen and I'm sure the Greene's will rustle ya up some breakfast. I got Lil' Whoops, here."

Daryl watched Sophia go with the empty bottle and then shifted to burp the baby. Lily's pink onesie that Amy had chosen the night before had gone in the same direction as Daryl's shirt after an unfortunate diaper changing incident. Daryl had no idea how to get the baby into another outfit so he just strapped on a diaper and wrapped her tightly in her blanket. Lily burped and then cooed when he shifted her again, cradling the infant against his bare chest.

"What?" he asked the baby as she cooed up at him, her blue eyes locked on his, "Already figured ya have ya uncle wrapped 'round ya finger when ya look like that?" he said softly, swaying slightly as he rocked her, "Eh, Lil' Whoops?"

"Lil' Whoops?" Carol questioned. Daryl turned back towards the bed, where Carol was laying back against the pillows and smiling back at him. He grinned.

"Ya don't think my dumbass brother actually planned this, do ya?" he chuckled, "How long ya been up?"

"Since you came back in here with the bottle," she answered, sitting up and staring at him. He frowned.

"What?" he asked.

"What happened to your shirt?" she asked, still fixated on him.

"Lil' Whoops decided to throw up on me," Daryl explained, "Seriously, why are ya starin' at me like that?"

"No reason," Carol laughed, a blush colouring her cheeks, "It's just that you look so…attractive right now."

Daryl relaxed then, a teasing smile playing on his face, "So me, sleep-deprived, shirtless, and holdin' a baby does it for ya then?" he teased.

"There's something attractive about a man holding a baby," she replied, laughing, "Let's get dressed. Maybe we'll find some time alone later."

He smirked, hoping that they would find some time later for some fun. He knew though, that today would be a hell of a day. It would be the day of Dale's death and it was up to Daryl to stop that from happening. Daryl and Carol dressed and then Daryl went to collect Sophia while Carol got the baby into another outfit. Then the four of them walked with Maggie back down to the camp where they found preparations for breakfast already underway. With a smirk, Daryl noticed that both Harrison sisters were staring at Miguel. Amy was grinning at him while Andrea rolled her eyes and scowled. Shane was clearly on Team Andrea with this one, glaring at Miguel, Rick, and Daryl in equal measure.

Rick, however, greeted him and Carol warmly and all of a sudden, they were surrounded by Dale, Jacqui, Amy, Andrea, Miguel, Lori, Carl, T-Dog, Glenn, and Maggie, all vying for a chance to see the little miracle in Daryl's arms. Daryl passed Lily off to Andrea, the blond grinning ear-to-ear as she was reunited with the baby. She was passed from member to member, each person completely enthralled with the little Dixon. Once Daryl was released from Dale's hearty handshake, Rick guided him away from the rest.

"That baby sure is something," the leader said, clapping Daryl on the back, "You brought us all something back from Barksdale, Daryl. Hope."

"Only doin' right by my kin," Daryl shrugged, but then he smiled, "but yeah, she's somethin' else."

"Andrea told me about her mother," Rick led in, "Tara. She died without a bite?"

"Yeah," Daryl confirmed. Rick sucked air in through his teeth.

"I was afraid of that," he sighed, "At the CDC, Jenner warned me that we all turn after we die, bit or not," Rick admitted, "I didn't know for sure until now."

"I wouldn't tell the others that ya knew," Daryl advised seriously, "Some wouldn't take it well."

"That's what I was thinking," Rick agreed, "but I do have to tell them about what you and Andrea seen."

"Yeah. Of course," Daryl agreed. Now Rick hesitated, running a hand over his scruff. Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Spit it out, Sheriff."

"I need a favour," Rick bargained, "I need a second opinion on Randall. I want you to talk to him…get information out of him."

Daryl should have seen this coming. After all, his role at this point in the past was to beat Randall into submission and the last time, Carol had looked at him like he was a monster, "Why me?" he wondered.

"Because I'm not leaving Shane alone with him and as much as I like Glenn, T-Dog, and Dale, all three of them have opinions about his fate. You've been kind of away from all of the drama over the last week. You're more impartial than they are," Rick explained. Daryl's eyebrows hit his hairline. It was a laugh, considering that Daryl would sooner beat the kid to death than allow one bit of harm come to his family.

"So I'm the damn judge here?" he wondered.

"Yeah," Rick said, "I want to know if it's safe to keep him around or not. I want you to go in there, talk to him, and then give me your judgement. I'll decide where we go from there."

"Fine," Daryl gave in and allowed Rick to lead him towards the shed. Maybe there was a way to do this without Daryl coming off as a brute. Daryl was already well aware of what Randall would say. He knew that the boy would tell him that his group consisted of thirty men and that they were fully loaded. He also knew what kind of men they were. Daryl deposited his newly-washed jacket and crossbow outside and then stepped into the shed. He listened as Rick shut the door. Daryl waited until he heard Rick walk away before he took the blindfold away.

"Look kid, I ain't lookin' for a fight here," Daryl growled, getting down to the kid's level, "I know ya run with some mean son-of-a-bitches-"

"They left me behind!" Randall protested, "Only joined up with 'em 'cause I thought it'd be safer-"

Daryl grabbed him by the  
collar and slammed him against the wall, making him yelp and whimper, "And what happens when we let ya go, huh? Ya gonna bring back ya boys? Take our camp?"

"Nah, Man!" Randall whimpered, "Wouldn't hurt ya guys! Don't even know where my group is!"

"I think that's bullshit!" Daryl snarled, "I think ya gonna run back on to your pals and then I think they's gonna come in here and kill us all!"

"No, Man, it ain't like that!" Randall cried, "I ain't like 'em. Things they did…ah, hell man, I ain't like that. See when I was with them, the men, we'd go out, scavenge. One night, we found this little campsite. Man and his two daughters. Teenagers ya know. Real young. Real cute," Daryl's blood turned hot as he heard the same story recited to him and as he watched the way Randall's eyes took on an emotionless turn, almost like he was trying not to show Daryl how he felt about the gang rape. Daryl didn't buy it. He had seen the pathetic excuse for a man snivel and cry without any attempt to suppress it. Now, though, the slimeball was holding back, checking his emotions when he didn't have a reason to.

"Dad had to watch while these guys…and they didn't even kill 'em afterwards. They's made 'em watch his two daughters. Just left 'em there," Randall continued and now Daryl was sure of the dark look in the kid's eyes. Randall must have realized that he let it slip and quickly backtracked while Daryl struggled to hold onto his self-control, "…n-no, but I didn't touch those girls. I swear, I didn't touch 'em! Never would!" Randal backpedaled nervously, "Wouldn't let that happen to no one here! Ya got a girl, daughter, don't ya? Little blond? Young one. I could help ya watch her, protect her-"

Daryl's self-control snapped. He was on the kid, beating him mercilessly. Blood pounded in his ears and he felt no pain as his knuckles spit from the contact. Only when he realized through the angry red haze that Randall was barely conscious did he stop hitting him. Now, he grabbed the pathetic excuse for a human up and pinned him to the wall again, this time with his hands on Randall's throat.

"You look at her or any of the other women in this camp, and I will beat you to death!" Daryl spat, "I will END you!"

Daryl threw Randal to the floor and slammed the door behind him as he went back outside. He locked the padlock and bent to his knees as he seethed and tried to snatch his control back. His plan to have a rational discussion with the prisoner had ended the moment Randall brought Sophia into the conversation. The idea that that slimeball had noticed her and that he brought her up after he talked about a gang rape made Daryl want to say 'fuck it' and go in there to end it himself.

He had to get control back, though. He had to think of Carol, Sophia, and Lily. Going off and murdering someone was not going to bode well for his new family. He would back off. He would let Rick handle it. After all, Randall would be dead soon. He reigned in his emotions and blocked them away. He shrugged on his jacket and shouldered his bow. He returned to camp to find Rick was addressing the group. His eyes sought out Carol, Sophia, and Lily. Carol was beside Jacqui and Sophia was with Carl at the table near their mothers. Lily was with Amy in her folding chair.

Rick glanced to him and all of a sudden, all eyes were on him. He noticed Carol's eyes dart to his bloodied knuckles. He avoided her gaze and stared straight at Rick.

"Boy there's got himself a gang of thirty men. Heavy artillery. They roll through here and our boys are dead and…and our women…they're gonna wish they were," Daryl managed to get out.

"What did you do?" Carol asked softly.

"Had a little chat," Daryl got out, walking away. He glanced towards his campsite off in the field. That would have to be taken down now that he had lodging in the house. He could also put that stuff in his new truck. It'd help for when they'd have to make a quick getaway. He also needed to get his bike off of the truck while he was at it. He'd be needing that too. Those things would keep him busy and out of the way as the others talked about Randall and what to do with him. He stalked towards his camp, wincing a little as the scrapes on his knuckles pulled. He'd have to go about cleaning them and then bandaging them up. If anything, he had likely beaten Randall worse than the first time around. His fists were tore up bad.

"Daryl!" Carol called to him and he turned. She stood there, offering him a clean white cloth. He took it, but avoided her eyes, remembering the disappointment in her eyes before.

_"Did you get what you wanted? Approval? Thanks?" she demanded as he wiped the blood from his knuckles, "Couldn't hit me so you beat up a kid. Is that who you are now?"_

_He winced at the judgement and challenge in her tone._

_"He ain't no kid and he'd do a lot worse than hit ya if ya gave him the chance," he responded, not wanting her to trust someone who would only hurt her._

_"That's not what this is about and you know it," she challenged him. He frowned._

_"What do you want me to do? Huh?" he wondered, "I don't need this."_

_"Don't pretend like you don't care. You want your friendship back? Take it. Every kind, smart thing you've ever said, take it all back. I've lost worse," she shot at him, immediately making him feel guilty for his actions towards her since Sophia's death, "But don't you sit back here and tend to your bloody fists and pretend like you don't care."_

_He watched her go and felt a need to go after her, to tell her that he cared too damn much. He wanted to say that he had cared for Sophia and he had mourned her loss as much as she did and he hadn't even known the damn kid. He wanted to tell her that he cared whether she lived or succumbed to their cold cruel world. He wanted to tell her that he cared._

_But he didn't. He let her go and then two nights later, she was calling him a henchman and herself a burden. What she didn't know in the coming months was that like her, he would also work to throw away the label._

"Daryl, what happened?" Carol asked, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Rick asked me to talk to Randall, see if he was a threat," Daryl admitted, still not looking her in the eyes.

"Rick asked you to beat him up for information?" she wondered. He winced and it had nothing to do with his hands. That made it sound like he was Rick's servant to be ordered around.

"Weren't like that," he refuted, "Was just gonna go talk to him and then tell Rick what I thought. Didn't go in there plannin' on beatin' on him. Then he just started talkin'…" his voice broke, wondering how he would tell her that the son-of-a-bitch had been looking at her girl. Suddenly he remembered what Ed had tried to do at the CDC. He wondered if she would remember it too. He sighed, "He told me how his boys scavenged places…raped women…girls. Tried to say he had no part in it, but he was lyin'. Saw it in his eyes. Then he was talkin' 'bout some of the women in camp and I just lost it," he skated around the truth. She had already dealt with one man who wanted to assault her daughter; she didn't need to deal with another one.

Carol reached out and took the cloth from him. That's when he realized that he had been wiping his fists too aggressively and making them bleed worse.

"Sit," she ordered firmly, gesturing to a nearby rock. He obeyed and then she knelt before him and she gently wiped away the blood from his hands. She looked up at him, "Daryl, calm down. You're shaking."

He let out a low breath, "The idea that he could hurt one of ya…" he broke off, "Please don't be mad."

"Shhh. It's alright," she soothed him, "Daryl, I'm not mad. I understand. I shot my husband for the same reason…because he wanted to hurt someone I love. I understand."

He looked at her then, her eyes shining with acceptance and understanding. He knew then that he could trust her with anything and that she could handle anything. She had ended her husband's life to protect her child. He took a breath and mustered the will to tell her, be honest with her. If nothing else, she deserved to know a scrap of truth from him. He was, after all, lying about who he really was.

"He said he noticed Sophia 'round camp," he said quietly, "He was tryin' to bargain with me, sayin' he'd help look after her. That's when I started hittin' him. Hope I broke the little fucker's jaw."

She froze and glanced back towards the house, where Sophia was sitting with Amy and Carl admiring the new baby. Then she turned back to him, steeling herself, "What's going to be done with him?" she asked.

"Rick talked 'bout executin' him," Daryl told her, "Now…now I can't see why we wouldn't."

"Good," she spoke, conviction in her voice, "I don't want to even think about him getting the chance to hurt her."

"He won't," Daryl vowed, reaching down to brush her cheek with his thumb, "Ain't gonna let him. Kill him myself if I had to. Don'tcha worry."

"Little hard not to," she sighed, focusing back on his knuckles. She was distracted now, worried about Sophia. He tilted her face with his free hand and brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.

"Ain't nothin' gonna happen to her. Or you," he promised. She nodded, leaning her forehead against his, "I'm gonna go pack up my old camp. Don't need it now that we're in the house. Ya go on up to camp. You'll feel better knowin' where she is and that she's safe."

"Alright," Carol agreed, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Be fine, Woman," he assured her, "Tended worse scrapes than this. Ya go on now. I'll be there directly."

He gave her one more kiss and then watched her walk away. He had to admire the woman, the strength of her. She was a mother first and her first priority was her child. That still didn't stop him from checking her out as she walked. He willed his anatomy to behave. He had shit to do and didn't want to take time off to go rub one out like a teenager. They would find a bit of alone time later.

He walked over to his deserted camp and began gathering his shit in a pile. He would come by a little later with the truck to pick it up. He cleared out his tent and was just about to go about taking the damn thing down when Dale showed up, toting his gun over his shoulder.

"Daryl. I want to talk to you," he announced. Daryl knew what this was about and he was none too pleased about it. After what happened in the shed, he found it difficult to support Dale's cause.

He merely grunted a greeting.

Dale started talking as Daryl knew he would, "Rick plans on executing Randall at sunset for crimes that he may or may not commit. It's cruel-"

"You're wastin' your time, Old Man," Daryl cut across him, "I ain't sayin' a word to defend that prick."

"Daryl, you're a decent man," Dale argued, "You saved Miguel. Vouched for him. You won't do the same for Randall?"

"Hell no!" Daryl spat, throwing a tent pole onto the pile of gear, "Miguel was different. He didn't wanna be part of what his group was doin'. Ya could tell 'cause he was actually sorry 'bout it. He was beaten and tortured. He didn't wanna be there."

"And Randall was left behind by his own group-"

"Randall talked to me 'bout gang rapin' two 'real cute, real young' teenage girls while their daddy watched," Daryl snapped using air quotes, his patience wearing thin, "and those were his words, not mine! The look in his eyes…the little fucker enjoyed just thinkin' 'bout it. Ya really want that 'round camp?" he demanded. Dale was hesitant for a moment before he spoke.

"We don't know that he took part in that," he said rationally, "Son, I know that you're a good man. You care about this group. You care for strangers. The group looks to you and respects you. Your opinion matters to them and I'm telling you that killing Randall isn't the answer. He deserves a chance to prove himself," Dale concluded, "If you gave him that, then maybe the others would too."

Now Daryl was getting frustrated, spitting out, "Maybe I woulda gave him that chance if he didn't talk 'bout rapin' teenage girls and then bring Sophia into the conversation!" he snapped. Dale looked dumbfounded and for a moment, Daryl wondered which part of Dale conscience would win out: the part where he defended a prisoner or the part that cared for Sophia. Daryl breathed out, "I'd sooner kill the son-of-a-bitch myself then let him within ten feet of my kid. Ya wastin' ya time over here, Dale."

Then Daryl walked away, grabbing his bow as he went. He needed to get away, calm himself before he did or said something he would regret. Hunting was the answer, as always. Something about the greenery and the cool shade of the canopy of the forest made him relax. Here, he was a hunter, the apex predator and he had little to fear and little to be concerned with. He was in his element and he had missed it during his trip away the day before. It was silent in the woods and in the silence, he let every thought drift away. He knew his purpose. He shot down squirrels on instinct and easily found the tracks of a deer near a stream. He followed them, his mind clear of all other worries except for the direction that his dinner had run.

But then that clarity was shattered by a familiar scream of terror.

Then he was crashing through the foliage towards the twelve-year-old girl that he had sworn to protect.

**TBC**

**I enjoyed writing this a lot more than I thought I would. Randall's a little worm. I had to have the conversation with Dale in there as it no doubt changed and it showed the differences between Miguel and Randall.**

**Next chapter: Sophia is in trouble and the group struggles to come to a decision about Randall.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	25. Jury

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Alright, glad you guys enjoyed the cliffhanger. Now let's see what happens to Sophia.**

**A warning: mentions rape. **

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 24: Jury**

_As we taste the shadows of our lies and our sweet mistakes  
We lose control, will we ever get it back?  
As we try to make things better, we seem to make them worse_

_If I could change the world  
Is it worth fighting for  
When no one's breathing, no one's breathing?  
If I could have my way  
I'd try to make it change  
But no one's breathing, no one's breathing  
Anymore_

The choices that we make (make us who we are)  
The ignorance we share (takes the pain away)  
But it takes your breath away  
When will we find our way?  
**…John Nathaniel – No One's Breathing**

* * *

Daryl ran faster than he had ever run in his life, fear making his heart pound wildly in his chest. He was certain that he had never felt fear this strong before. The thought that something could happen to Sophia was more than he could take, and not because it would shatter Carol, but because it would destroy him as well.

He could hear the frightened sounds of Sophia and a young boy…Carl. He rounded the corner, bow raised. Carl was on his back, scrambling up an embankment as Sophia tried to pull him up. A walker was struggling to get at the children, but it was hindered by one leg being stuck in the mucky creek bed. Daryl hit the trigger of his bow and let the arrow pierce the skull of the shirtless walker.

Relief flooded the children's faces only to be wiped away when they looked up at their savior.

To say that Daryl Dixon was pissed off would be an understatement. He was livid as he stormed towards the two pre-teens.

"D-Daryl-" Sophia squeaked, but he ignored her, afraid that if he looked at her, he would fall apart. Instead, he zeroed in on the boy, who was pale beneath his father's hat and regarding him with wide, fearful eyes. Daryl stopped in front of the young Grimes, towering over the boy. If Daryl wasn't vibrating with anger, he would have derived a bit of satisfaction in the way that Carl cowered.

"Fetch me my arrow, Boy," Daryl snarled, making both kids jump. Carl scrambled towards the dead walker, his movements uncoordinated and fearful as he pulled the arrow out of the walker's head. He walked back and offered it to Daryl, point first. Daryl took the bolt by the shaft and then knelt to look at Carl eye-to-eye, pulling the boy closer by the front of his sweater. Daryl made sure the tip of the arrow was inches from Carl's nose.

"Ya listen to me, Kid," Daryl growled, his voice low and menacing, "If ya ever do somethin' so goddamn stupid again and put my girl in danger, this arrow is goin' in ya goddamn ass!"

"D-Daryl-"

"I'll get to ya in a minute, young lady!" Daryl snapped at Sophia. He straightened and released Carl, then noticing a flash of silver in the red and orange leaves. He bent to pick it up and realized it was his own damn gun that had been in his saddlebag on his bike, which was still up on the truck. Daryl shot forward like a cobra and grabbed Carl again by the sweater.

"This my gun?" Daryl demanded, "Ya took my gun?"

"I-I-"

"You what?" Daryl yelled, "Ya took my gun? Tryin' to be a big man? Next fuckin' time USE IT!" he roared, "Ya ain't ever hesitate when ya deal with walkers! Hesitatin' gets people killed! That thing coulda got loose! Coulda killed ya! Coulda killed Sophia!" he raged, looking down at the walker he had killed. It was then that realization hit him. This walker, with no shirt and a scraggly orange beard, was the one that had killed Dale. Daryl gritted his teeth, "Coulda killed someone back at the farm."

Daryl stalked up the embankment towards Sophia, who looked near tears, "D-Daryl, I-I'm sorry-"

He struggled to keep hold of his temper, instead telling her, as calm as he could, "Ya really wanna make ya momma look like she does in those dreams of yours?" he asked, brushing by her, "Both of ya move! Now!" he barked.

He heard them following him back towards the farm, ignoring the shamed noises that came out of the children. Once the house was in sight, Carl tried to veer off, sneak away, but Daryl was having no part in that. He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him towards the house, despite the boy's sounds of protest. Daryl shot a look back at Sophia to ensure that she was following, which she was. Daryl took them towards the house, fully intending of dropping them in front of their mothers and making the children explain what they had done.

Of course that plan was derailed when Shane came flying out of nowhere.

"Let go of him, you son-of-a-bitch!" Shane screamed, tackling him to the ground, forcing him to let go of Carl. Suddenly it was all Daryl could do to protect himself from the blows raining down on him.

"SHANE! SHANE, STOP!" Rick was screaming, but it was T-Dog and Glenn who reacted, once again surging forward to pull Shane off of Daryl. For a moment, Daryl struggled to catch his breath. Carol and Lori had their children in their arms, pulling them away from the fight. In a haze, Daryl noticed Amy was watching from her chair, Lily now fussing at the interruption to her nap. Shane was still fighting against the two men holding him back.

"You touch him again and I will beat you so fuckin' hard that-"

"Shane, stop!" Rick approached, out of breath from running to the scene from the barn. Daryl was hauled to his feet by Miguel and Andrea.

"Bad situation, _Vato_," Miguel said, shaking his head.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rick demanded, anger and authority in his voice.

"That son-of-a-bitch was manhandlin' Carl!" Shane spat, once again trying to get at the redneck.

"Fuck you, Asshole!" Daryl snarled back, now struggling against Miguel and Andrea, "Ya don't know shit so stop trying to spew it!"

"HEY! ENOUGH!" Rick bellowed, glancing at Daryl, "What happened?"

"Ask ya boy!" Daryl spat at him, "Found him and Sophia alone in the woods!"

Suddenly all eyes drifted to the two dirt-caked preteens.

"What?" Lori asked, her voice disbelieving. Carol was staring at her daughter in shock.

"Sophia?" she demanded. The girl was the first to crack, her mind focused only on Daryl's words from the forest as she looked at her mother.

"Carl said it would be okay," she whimpered, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Carl?" Rick now beseeched his son, his mouth a thin line as he waited for the boy to talk.

"W-we were bored," Carl stammered, "We went for a walk…" he trailed off, cringing.

"Alone?" Lori spat, "Without an adult? Without protection?"

"He had my gun," Daryl growled when it became apparent that the boy clammed up in the face of every adult in his life staring at him in disbelief, "Thought he'd be a big man and take out a walker."

"Walker?" Carol asked sharply, staring horrified at her daughter, "You speak and you speak now, young lady!" she ordered. More tears came, but Carol wasn't swayed.

"I-it was stuck in the m-mud," Sophia got out, "It c-couldn't get us so we w-were throwing rocks at it and then it got loose…"

"You what?" Carol demanded, horror and anger seeping into her tone, "Sophia Lynn, how could you?"

"I'm sorry, Momma!" Sophia cried, but Carol looked like there was a war going on inside of her as relief and anger fought it out.

"I shot the geek," Daryl injected, "just as it was about to clamp onto the Lil' Prince's leg," and with a glare at Shane, who had gone still, he added, "Though if the thanks I get for it is a bloodied up nose, then maybe I oughta have let the walker manhandle him," he spat, turning to walk away.

"Daryl…thank you," Rick choked out, his hand clapping down hard on his son's shoulder as Lori continued to hold Carl close to her. Daryl glared.

"Just keep a fuckin' eye on your kid 'fore he runs off and ends up killin' mine," he spat, turning in the direction of the screaming baby, who was not tolerating the yelling. Lily howled from her new position in Jacqui's arms as the woman tried in vain to calm her. Daryl took the baby, "Probably hungry," he said, still seething, but now controlled as he carried the baby back up to the house.

Adrenaline was ebbing away now, along with his anger. Now he just felt tired and frustrated. His body ached; he could feel every single one of Shane's punches. He was sure that his torso was covered in bruises, but thankfully, he had succeeded in protecting his head for the most part. His nose quit bleeding. He moved into the kitchen, where Beth and Maggie were fixing up some lunch.

"Rough mornin'?" Maggie asked, flicking on the kettle for him.

"Ugh. Just take me out to pasture," he grunted, sitting down at the table. He heard as the screen door slammed shut and then as the door to his room closed. If he really focused, he could make out Carol scolding Sophia behind the door.

"Heard the yellin'," Maggie admitted as she ripped lettuce, "Figured it'd be you and Shane."

"Glad we're so damn predictable," Daryl groused. He noticed that Beth was looking at him, or more specifically, at the baby. Carol had filled him in on Beth's suicide attempt. The teenager had sliced her wrist with a shard from a broken mirror, but Maggie and Lori caught her in the act and stopped her from doing any real damage. Carol had explained that Maggie was terrified that Beth would try again, sticking to her sister like glue, but looking at the blond now, Daryl couldn't see it. She was staring at the baby with wonder, like everybody else on this damn farm, and for a moment, Daryl wondered if Rick had been correct when he said that Lily gave them all hope. He supposed that if a little baby could make it this far, then they all could.

"Wanna hold her?" he asked the younger of the sisters, "Gotta make Lil' Whoops her bottle."

"Lil' Whoops?" Maggie asked, turning to watch as Beth accepted the baby, "Are you serious?"

"Well, she weren't exactly part o' the plan," Daryl replied, readying the bottle of formula.

"Still!" Maggie protested, "It's gonna give her a complex."

"She's three days old," Daryl shrugged, screwing on the nipple and shaking the bottle, "Ain't gonna matter much. And if ya think that's gonna give her a complex, wait 'til she meets her pa."

"He can't be that bad," Beth said softly, still enthralled with baby Lily's big blues.

"Jury's still out on him," Daryl replied. He handed her the bottle and watched for a moment as his niece sucked away, happier than a clam. Satisfied that one of his girls was well taken care of, he looked to the bedroom door. While he was still angry at the thought of Sophia being in danger, stepping away from the group and taking care of Lily had calmed him down some. He had to check himself for the sake of the little life he was responsible for and so far, he had done pretty good with it. Maybe he was alright right now to join whatever was going on in that bedroom. He glanced again to Beth, who was enthralled and grinning at the baby and asked, "Can ya two watch her for a couple minutes?"

"Sure. We got her," Maggie answered from the island. That was all Daryl needed to hear as he moved out into the living room towards the bedroom door, but just as he neared it, it opened up and Carol stepped out. She looked drained and when she caught his eye, he was relieved as hell that she wasn't crying. She took a breath and shut the door behind her. Then she walked past him and leaned against the opposite wall, running her hands through her short hair. Then she looked at him.

"Sit down," she gestured to a chair. He obeyed, keeping his eyes on her.

"Ya okay?" he asked. She moved so that she stood in between his knees. She tilted his chin up to examine his face.

"Was it just your nose?" she wondered, deflecting the question. He smiled wryly up at her and nodded.

"Knew enough to protect my damn face this time," Daryl replied, "Everythin' alright?"

Carol let out a long sigh and moved her hands to massage his shoulders, "She's upset about what happened."

That didn't surprise Daryl. The kid had been crying out in the yard. From which part, he didn't know, though, "And you?" he asked tentatively. He wondered if she would be pissed at him for yelling at her kid. Her hands worked his shoulders a little harder.

"I keep trying to remind myself that I should be thankful that she's safe, but at the same time…I'm so angry that she put her life in danger like that," she admitted, her voice higher now with stress, "Of all the ridiculous things…how could she…why…" Carol's chest was heaving and her mouth was a thin line. Now her massage turned almost painful as she worked out whatever frustration was going through her on his shoulders.

"She's safe," he said in hopes that she would calm down a little.

Carol sighed, "I just…I should've…She was with Amy and Lily, so I decided to help Jacqui with some of the laundry. I was three feet away!" Carol growled, too frustrated to see the look of pain that crossed his face when the massage definitely took a painful turn, "When Carl came up and asked her to go with him, I said it was okay. I should have asked what they were doing or kept an eye-"

He caught her forearms in his hands, forcing her to still. He had never seen her worked up like this before.

"Stop it," Daryl snapped firmly, "Ya ain't blamin' yaself for this. Them two kids have brains. They know the rules 'round here. We done told Sophia she weren't to go out in the woods without me or ya. She did it anyway followin' damn Carl 'round. Shoulda figured that slippery little Houdini was gonna be a bad influence on her."

Carol glanced down at him, blinking a couple times. The angry line that her mouth had taken now twitched upwards in amusement, "Slippery little Houdini?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Daryl snorted, "His pa could cuff his wrists and ankles, throw him in a box, lock it, and then stick his momma on top of it and the little fucker would still manage to run off unnoticed."

Carol was smiling now at the image he created, "That's mean Daryl," she tried to scold. He relaxed now.

"Ya better?" he asked, "'Cause ya were fixin' to do more damage than Shane the way ya was goin' on my shoulders."

This earned him a blush, a nod, and an apology, which he waved off as he pulled her to him, catching her lips in his. It started off as a slow, gentle sort of kiss, but then her hands fisted his hair, holding him to her as her tongue moved into his mouth. She shifted her position slightly so that she was on his lap, but the movement caused her to brush against his hardening erection. His hands shot out to her hips to hold her in place.

"Ya wanna?" he whispered huskily, "'Cause if ya do, we gotta move."

Carol rested her forehead on his. She had that look again, the one she got when there was an internal battle going on inside her. Finally she sighed, "We can't. The baby's in the next room and we still have to talk to Sophia."

He let out a long sigh, "We'll talk to Sophia," he groaned, "but then I'm gonna make ya forget ya own name."

"Promise?" she flirted, shooting him a smirk as she pushed herself off of his lap.

"Christ woman," Daryl growled, willing his little problem to go away, "Ya sure ya want me in there?" he wondered, more to distract himself than anything. She quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what made him ask her that.

"You care about her, about both of us…you're a big part of her life now and what you said to Rick earlier…" she trailed off and Daryl suddenly remembered what he had said, calling Sophia his kid.

"Didn't overstep anythin' did I?" he wondered, his heart pounding. She shook her head.

"Honestly? It means the world to me that you care about her like that," Carol admitted, "I don't mind sharing her with you. We're both lucky to have you in our lives."

Her words had him smiling and he got to his feet. He followed her into the bedroom, where Sophia was curled up on her cot. She sat up to look at them and Daryl could feel his heart shatter in his chest. She looked positively miserable with tears falling down her cheeks and more in her red-rimmed eyes. She clutched her doll tightly to her chest and whimpered a little when she saw Daryl and Carol there.

"Sophia, Daryl and I would like to talk to you," Carol led in, biting her lip.

"Momma, I'm sorry," Sophia apologized, sniffling. Carol sat down on the bed across from Sophia.

"I know you are, Honey, but do you understand why Daryl and I are so upset?" Carol asked, "You really scared us. If something happened to you…"

"I know," Sophia whispered, glancing quickly at Daryl and then away again, "I shouldn't have went in the trees with Carl."

"The hell were ya thinkin'?" Daryl wondered. Sophia wouldn't look at him.

"Carl said it was okay," she mumbled, "He said he had a gun and he could take care of us."

"But you knew it wasn't okay, Sophia. That's why I'm upset. You put yourself in danger," Carol told her, "Daryl and I told you that you weren't supposed to go out into the woods without an adult."

"Just 'cause that kid says somethin' don't mean ya have to do it," Daryl said, "That kid ain't always got the right ideas. He coulda got ya both killed today," he sighed when Sophia kept her gaze locked on Carol's knee, "Dammit, Rabbit, look at me," he ordered. She jumped and raised her eyes to his hesitantly. Daryl huffed out a breath, "Ya gotta use that head of yours, Girl. Always think for yaself. Don't know what I'd do if somethin' happened to ya."

Something in Sophia's face changed, confused, "You don't hate me?" she asked softly. Daryl's eyebrows shot to his hairline.

"Hell no! The hell ya think that for?" he asked. Sophia shifted uneasily and clutched her doll tighter.

"You were so mad…"

"Ah, shit," Daryl cursed, "Soph, ya remember when I told ya that when grown-ups are scared, sometimes we act stupid?" he asked. Sophia frowned.

"You were scared?" she asked as if she couldn't believe it.

"Terrified, Kid," Daryl admitted, "Thought I lost ya."

"Oh," Sophia said softly, "Sorry for making you scared, Daryl. And I'm sorry for making you scared too, Momma."

"We know," Carol said, pulling Sophia to her in a hug, "but for the next little while, I want you where we can keep an eye on you. You're going to start helping more with the chores, alright?"

Sophia hardly looked thrilled about it, but she nodded. Daryl chuckled.

"Suck it up, Kid," he told her, placing his hand on her shoulder, "We all gotta take our lumps-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Rick's face appeared there, "Carol, Daryl, we're gonna start the meeting here pretty soon. We'll be in the sitting room," he informed them quickly before closing the door to go alert the others. Daryl and Carol exchanged weary looks. They had a feeling it would be a long evening.

Beth and Jimmy agreed to watch the three children upstairs while the adults discussed the life and death of the prisoner. Carl had protested, but stern glares from his parents sent him pouting upstairs. Sophia was more good-natured about it, giving Daryl and Carol both quick hugs before she followed Beth and Lily up the stairs. To appease Shane, Rick sent Miguel, the supposed outsider, to take watch on the porch. This meant that fourteen people would be deciding Randall's fate.

"We all know why we're here," Rick opened up, standing in the center of the room, "We're here to put it to a vote about what we do with the prisoner."

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

"Majority rules," Lori decided. Daryl resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the unofficial first lady would get to decide how things were run.

"Let's just see where everybody stands and then we can talk through the options," Rick decided.

"Hell, way I see it, there's only one way to move forward," Shane commented. And despite everything, Daryl found himself agreeing with his rival.

"Killing him, right?" Dale spat, "Why even bother to take a vote? It's clear which way the wind's blowing."

"Well, if people believe we should spare him, I want to know," Rick said fairly.

"I can tell you that it's a small group," Dale revealed, "Maybe just me, Glenn, Amy, and Andrea."

Glenn hesitated and looked away, causing Daryl to narrow his eyes in a question, to which Glenn replied, "Look, I think you're pretty much right about everything all the time, but this…"

"They've got you scared!" Dale accused.

"He shot at us!" Glenn protested, "He would have killed me…any of us and he wouldn't have given it a second thought!"

At this betrayal, Dale looked to Hershel and Maggie, "How about you? Do you agree with this?" he asked.

"Couldn't we continue keepin' him prisoner?" Maggie asked Rick.

"Just another mouth to feed," Daryl piped up for his spot leaning against the wall beside Carol.

"You sure didn't think that when you brought your strays back," Shane commented from the fireplace. Daryl rolled his eyes.

"I'm agreein' with ya, dumb ass," Daryl growled, "Miguel was different. He saved my life. He's not a threat. He helps us."

"And Randall could do the same thing!" Dale beseeched him, "He could be an asset! Give him a chance to prove himself!"

"Already told ya why I ain't lettin' him walk 'round here," Daryl stated firmly.

"We could put an escort on him," Maggie suggested.

"And who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane wondered sarcastically.

"I will!" Dale volunteered.

"I don't think any of us should be walkin' around with this guy," Rick cautioned.

"He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up," Lori said.

"I agree," Carol said softly.

"Well, we can't exactly put chains on his ankles and sentence him to hard labour," Andrea replied.

"Look, say we let him join us," Shape hypothesized, "Maybe he's helpful. Maybe he's nice. We let our guard down, maybe he runs off and brings back his thirty men."

"So the answer is to kill him for crimes he may never even attempt?" Dale asked, looking between Shane and Daryl, "If we do this, we're saying, 'there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization.'"

"Oh my God," Shane scoffed.

"Ain't that we're sayin' all that," Daryl told Dale, "Just that we're protectin' what's ours."

"Could you drive him further out?" Hershel wondered, "Leave him like you planned?"

"You barely came back this time," Lori replied, shaking her head, "There are walkers, you could break down, you could get lost…"

In Daryl's opinion, it was a flimsy excuse at best, almost like she was convincing her husband to just accept it and take Shane's course of action.

"Maybe we shouldn't put our own people at risk," Glenn suggested.

"If you were to go through with it, how would you do it?" Patricia asked from beside Maggie, "Would he suffer?"

"Hang him, right?" Shane looked to Rick, "Snap his neck?"

Daryl shuddered, now realizing that was exactly what Shane would do if Randall survived the night.

"I thought about that. Shooting may be more humane," Rick corrected.

"What about the body?" T-Dog asked, "Would-"

"Woa! Hold on!" Dale cried, "You're talking about this like it's already been decided! This is a young man's life! It's worth more than a five minute conversation. Is this what it comes to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him?" he shook his head in disbelief, "You saved him, Rick! Now look at us! He's been tortured and he's going to be executed! How are we any better than these people that we're so afraid of?" Dale wondered, looking around the group. The rest hung their heads, chastised by Dale. Only one person spoke up to challenge Dale, the last one any of them expected.

"I killed someone, Dale," Carol announced, drawing all eyes to her at this declaration, "I killed my husband because he was going to rape my daughter. I would do anything to make sure that she's never in that position again. If executing this man is going to protect her from that, then I don't care if you think that I'm no better than those other people."

Silence filled the room. Daryl reached over to lace his fingers with hers. He had never been more proud of her than he was in that moment.

"We all know what needs to be done," Shane commented.

"No, Dale's right. We can't leave any stone unturned," Rick refuted, "We have responsibilities-"

"So what's the other solution?" Andrea interrupted, only to be snapped at by Lori demanding that Rick be allowed to finish. Andrea continued after shooting a glare at Lori, "We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could-"

"So let's work on it!" Dale shouted.

"We are-" T-Dog protested.

"Stop it!" Jacqui piped up from T-Dog's side, "This fighting is gettin' us nowhere. We need to make a decision here and we need to do it like civilized people."

Rick sighed, and then said, "Anyone who wants the floor before we make a final decision, now's your chance."

Dale stepped forward.

"You once said that we don't kill the living-"

"That was before the living tried to kill us," Rick snapped back.

"But don't you see?" Dale beseeched him, "If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew, is dead! And this new world is ugly. It's harsh. It's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't want to live in and I don't believe any of you do. I can't. Please let's just do what's right."

"Let's vote," Rick stated after a moment, "All those in favour of execution?"

Shane, Lori, Daryl, Carol, Glenn, T-Dog, Jacqui, Patricia, Hershel, and Maggie raised their hands. Rick counted. Andrea, Amy, and Dale were the only ones left. Dale shook his head in disgust.

"Are you all going to watch too? Nah. You'll all go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it," Dale refused, pushing past Daryl and out the door.

"We do this at sundown. Shane? Daryl?" Rick looked to the pair of them. Shane nodded. Daryl hesitated. Though he knew that he had Carol's support, he was still hesitant. Then there was Dale. Even though the walker that killed him was dead, there still could be others.

"Take T," Daryl refused, "I'm gonna keep an eye on the old man. Didn't like the way he walked outta here."

"He just needs to simmer down," Shane scoffed.

"He needs to understand," Daryl corrected, "I'll keep an eye on the group. You guys take care of the prick in the shed."

**TBC**

**So after rewatching the jury scene in 'Judge, Jury, and Executioner', all I have to say is wow. I just didn't appreciate it all until now. First off, Dale is so concerned about the group losing their humanity, even accusing the group of being no better than Randall's group (which was a little harsh). Next, we have an excellent bit of foreshadowing when Shane comments that they were going to snap Randall's neck. And then there was Carol. She spoke up in front of the group and actually put herself into the conflict. I wanted to preserve that part for her because it showed growth for her character in the original, but I think that in this case, she would be more involved in wanting Randall removed from Sophia's life.**

**Next chapter: Dale and Daryl have a heart-to-heart and an interruption causes Shane to take matters into his own hands.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	26. Executioner

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Okay, now things start moving. I can already anticipate the reactions to the end of this chapter.**

**A warning: Sexual content.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 25: Executioner**

_One more depending on a prayer  
And we all look away  
People pretending everywhere  
It's just another day  
There's bullets flying through the air  
And they still carry on  
We watch it happen over there  
And then just turn it off_

_The right thing to guide us  
Is right here inside us  
No one can divide us  
When the light is nearly gone  
But just like a heartbeat  
The drumbeat carries on  
And the drumbeat carries on  
Just like a heartbeat_

Hey, yeah, yeah, hey, yeah  
We must stand together

**…Nickelback – We Must Stand Together**

* * *

Daryl caught up with Dale just outside the fence line. The old man had his gun slung over his shoulder and his stupid hat was perched on his head.

"Hold up a minute!" Daryl requested, jogging to catch up to the old man, "Wanna talk to ya."

"What's there to say, Son?" Dale wondered, "It obvious that you and the group have made a decision. The old world, the old ways of life…they're gone now."

"Not all of 'em," Daryl disputed, "They've just changed is all."

"So now we evolve to fit our world or we die?" Dale wondered, shaking his head, "Survival of the fittest is an ugly way to live."

Now Daryl was never all that interested in school, barely scrapping by with a diploma, but when it pertained to things that he was interested in, like mechanics or biology, he tended to pay more attention. Daryl was thankful for that now as he could at least contribute to the conversation.

"It's how we always lived since the time of the cavemen. Only reason we're here is 'cause the cavemen that were our ancestors outlived them other cavemen," Daryl replied, "We just forgot all about it with all these advancements and technology and shit. We forgot what it means to survive. I mean, fuck, if ya took the damn labels and warning stickers off of everything, there'd have been far fewer of us for the walkers to chomp on in the first place."

"So all of those advancements we made, the civilizations we've created, are useless now that we have to go back into survival mode, fighting and killing anything that threatens us? So we're no better than animals?" Dale demanded as they walked. Daryl chuckled.

"Before all this, I always thought that human bein's were worse than the animals. Animals have just a handful of reasons to kill. They kill for food and to protect 'emselves. Humans are different. Some kill for the sake of killin'," Daryl reminded Dale, shaking his head, "Do ya really believe that we're killin' Randall just for the sake of killin'?"

Dale's thick eyebrows knitted together, "There are other options," Dale said softly.

"'Cept that they ain't gonna work," Daryl replied, "This is the last option. This ensures that we're gonna survive. It might be an ugly world. It might be that sometimes we have to do things we don't wanna do. Thing is though, we're gonna survive, we're gonna live, and so will those three kids in that house."

"And what's the point if our humanity is gone?" Dale asked, "If human life means so little…"

Daryl chewed his lip, thinking over the events of the future. Despite some of the things that the group had done, they had still retained the shreds of their humanity. They clung to it tighter than anything else after learning what they would become if they didn't. He shook his head and sighed. If only Dale knew the things that Daryl knew. If only Dale knew how much love and hope still remained three years down the road, despite every threat that the group faced along the way.

"Our humanity will never be gone," Daryl stated, shaking his head.

"How can you believe that as you condemn a man to death?" Dale demanded, "Keeping our humanity is a choice and right now, this group is choosing to throw it away!"

"Nothin's bein' thrown away," Daryl corrected, adjusting his bow on his shoulder, "This world…it tests ya. Makes ya do stuff ya ain't wanna do, but ya have to in order to keep livin'. It's how you respond to it that shows whether ya still got your humanity or not. I've seen so many things…done so many things…that it'd be easy for me to just turn it all off, be numb to it and not care. I learnt that now, more than ever, we need people and not just extra bodies to fight. We need those bonds with others, the things that keep us grounded, and things for us to keep livin' for. As long as we have that, our humanity ain't goin' away."

"And you think that's enough?" Dale wondered. Daryl thought of Carol and Sophia in the other timeline. Carol had seen her daughter stumble out of the barn as a walker and then watched as Rick put a bullet in the little girl's brain. She was alone at the point. No one would have blamed her if she shut down, if she had decided it would be better to join Sophia. Instead, Carol had reached out to the other broken soul that had mourned her daughter almost as much as she did. She didn't let him pull away. She showed him that it was okay to care about the group and so he finally allowed himself to.

"I know it is," Daryl replied sincerely, "It's when we stop carin' that I'll start worryin'. The evil ones…the ones with nothin' human in 'em anymore…they don't care what they do or who they hurt. Fact that we debated what to do with Randall shows we do care what we do."

Dale stopped walking and surveyed him for a moment. Then the old man spoke, "You are full of surprises, Son. What you're saying makes sense, but it is still hard not to be concerned."

"I know," Daryl allowed, "but trust me. Everyone here is gonna be okay."

"Even Shane?" Dale asked doubtfully. Daryl smiled wryly.

"Way its goin', we may not have to worry 'bout Shane no more," he shrugged. Dale narrowed his eyes.

"What do you know about that?" he wondered.

"I know a lot of things about a lot of things," Daryl replied cryptically, "We best get back. Figure Randall mighta got a reprieve."

"Why do you say that?" Dale asked as they turned around.

"We've been walkin' for a while. Ain't heard no gunshot yet," Daryl said. The pair walked towards camp where the rest of the group was assembled outside. Apparently this was the tail end of a meeting as everyone was starting to disperse. Shane looked pissed as hell. Rick looked angry and a bit conflicted as he and Lori guided Carl back to their tent. Amy greeted them from her lawn chair. Daryl smirked, noticing that Miguel had pulled a chair close to hers.

"They're going to wait until tomorrow," Amy explained, getting to her feet, "Carl interrupted them."

"Slippery little Houdini," Carol commented, exchanging a grin with Daryl. She linked her hand with his.

"And where's the rabbit?" Daryl asked her as Dale, Amy, and Miguel made their way to the RV. He hoped like hell that Sophia had been nowhere near that barn.

"In the house. Patricia said she would keep an eye on the girls while we're out here," Carol explained, "Dale okay?"

"Yeah. Didn't want him wanderin' 'round in the dark by himself," Daryl replied. Carol frowned.

"You never worried before," she commented.

"Always worried 'bout ya walkin' 'round out there before," Daryl corrected, "'Sides wouldn't have wanted him to run into any stray walkers like what the kids found."

"That's sweet," Carol said, leaning closer to him and dropped her voice to a whisper, "and speaking of that unfortunate incident, I seem to recall a promise you made earlier. Something about making me forget my own name."

A grin split over Daryl's face, "Really?"

"We have a little time," Carol assured him. She had barely finished speaking and he was already dragging her towards her former tent, which now stood empty. It would need to be taken down in the morning, but for now, he pulled her inside. His lips met hers in a searing kiss, her lips parting to allow his tongue to twist with hers. Her hands went for the buttons on his shirt and each time her nimble fingers brushed the skin of his chest, he felt himself growing harder. He rolled his shoulders to rid himself of his jacket and shirt in one movement. The cool night air hit his back. He pulled away from the kiss.

"Gotta close the damn door," he whispered, reluctantly pulling his body from hers to turn and fight with the zipper to the door. By the time he turned back around, she had taken off her shirt and was working her jeans down her hips.

"Goddamn been thinkin' 'bout this all damn day," he growled, helping her with her pants before his lips were on hers again. Then he was exploring her neck, nipping and sucking at the skin he found there.

"So have I," Carol moaned, her hands finding their way to his hair. He fought with the bra again and this time won. His reward was her breasts spilling forth so that he could take her right nipple in his mouth and palm her left breast with his other hand. Carol let out a strangled cry of pleasure and arched towards him, her hands fisting his hair almost painfully, when he lightly bit down. She dragged him back to her lips and kissed him hard, knocking him back on his ass. She was on his lap, grinding her hips against his. He let out a growl as his erection made contact with her core. He was straining in his pants and was relieved when she started undoing his belt and zipper. He pushed his pants and underwear off. When he was free, she took him in her hand and stroked him. He threw his head back and let out a long moan as she worked him up. His head snapped up when he felt her warm mouth on him. They had not gotten to this point yet in their new little relationship. He hadn't wanted to pressure her into anything she wasn't comfortable with so he had let her set the pace.

"Fuck," he groaned as she licked and sucked his shaft. If she kept this up, their time alone would be wasted all on him. He pulled away and when she looked up at him in confusion, he moved her so she was on her back and he was positioned over her.

"I promised to make ya forget ya own name, not the other way around," he explained in between the kisses he was peppering along her windpipe.

"I don't mind-"

"That was the plan, Woman, and I'm stickin' to it," he growled, reaching down to rub her through her panties.

"Daryl," she groaned his name before she was able to form her weak argument, "I wanted to do that for you. Was it not good or-"

"Was fucking fantastic," he told her, licking his way around her nipple, "and ya can do that anytime ya want 'cept for this time. This time, I'm gonna do this for you."

Any argument she may have held died away as he slipped his fingers beneath the cotton barrier and dipped them inside her wet heat. She bit her lip to stifle the moan as his fingers moved inside her. He continued his path south, dragging his tongue over her stomach. When he reached the underwear, he pulled them off completely and dragged his tongue to taste her as she writhed beneath him. He flicked his tongue over the small nub and was rewarded with her biting down on her hand to keep from crying out. He grinned and repeated the motion, earning the same result. She came undone as he curved his finger inside her to touch that spot inside her while he scrapped his teeth over her ball of nerves. She came hard, clenching around his fingers. He moved up and kissed her hard to help stifle cry of pleasure that escaped her lips. He didn't let her come down from her high before he thrust inside her. Her gasp of surprise caused him to still and drag his lips to her ear.

"What do you want?" he whispered, flicking his tongue against her earlobe. She tried to buck against him, but his hands held her still, "Answer me."

"Hard," was the word that fell from her lips in a hoarse, desperate plea. He moved then, setting a fast pace with her, the only sounds being her moans, his grunts, and the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

"More," she requested. He paused in his thrusts and she let out a frustrated sound that changed to pleasure as he positioned her knees over his shoulders. The new angle allowed him in deeper. When he started thrusting again, he dared to move one hand to work her clit. Her eyes closed as she neared her peak.

"Open your eyes," he demanded. She obeyed and in the pale light, they made eye contact before she slipped over the edge. He followed seconds later, unable to hold off his own release as she clenched around him. He panted her name before he collapsed on top of her. She was still trying to catch her breath.

"Good?" he asked, kissing her neck.

"Great," she sighed, "Just what I needed."

They lay there for a little while longer, trying to get their heart rates under control before they started to dress. In Daryl's opinion, it was just what they needed after the day they both had. With everything going on with Randall, Sophia, and Dale, they had both built up enough tension and frustration throughout the day and both of them needed a release. Once they redressed, they walked hand-in-hand back up to the house. They found Sophia asleep on her cot and Lily making a sucking motion in her sleep.

After they changed and got into bed together, Daryl found himself relaxing. He could get used to this life, having the kids to care for and an amazing woman curled next to him as they slept in a warm bed. Then he realized that he would not be getting the chance to get used to it. Tomorrow, they would be forced to leave the farm.

Suddenly, he was just a little bit tense.

0

The next morning saw them joining the group in the yard. Hershel had been informed of the walker in the woods and suggested that a group be taken to scout the area to ensure that there weren't others. Daryl knew that there were about seven other walkers near the property, something that would be more easily taken care of than the herd of a couple hundred heading their way. Daryl, T-Dog, Andrea, Glenn, and Jimmy went out to scout and had killed the walkers near the outskirts of the farm. Upon returning, they reported their findings.

"That bunch would have been up in here easy," T-Dog explained to Rick and Hershel, "Who knows if we would've seen them coming?"

"I was afraid of that," Hershel sighed, "With the nights getting colder and the creek-bed hardening, it won't be as difficult for the walkers to get near the farm."

"And with fifty head of cattle, we might as well be ringing the damn dinner bell," Maggie agreed. Hershel nodded.

"It might be best for your people to move inside," he said, "We can stock up provisions in the basement and reinforce the house."

"Twenty people in one house?" Rick wondered, "It's going to be tight."

"Families will have to share rooms," Hershel said, "Your family can take my room. Better for your wife to have a good bed. Maggie and Beth can share Maggie's room. Andrea and Amy can have Beth's. I'll take the couch. The Dixons will stay downstairs in their room. The rest can camp out in the living room or kitchen. It will be tight, but we'll manage fine."

In Daryl's opinion, it sounded fucking awful, but it would still be better than being on the road. Unfortunately, it was unavoidable, so he spoke up, "Be a good idea if everyone had a bag of somethin' ready in case we have to leave in a hurry. Vehicles should be gassed up. We should have a plan too in case we get separated," he listed.

"And what about Randall?" Jacqui wondered, "What are we doing with him?"

Rick's jaw clenched and he glanced to the fire, where Carol and Lori were overseeing their children as they washed the dishes. The leader sighed, "We can't take care of it here. Daryl and I will take Randall out."

"What? Cut him loose even after the vote?" Shane wondered, leaning against the side of the truck.

"I'm not doing it here where those kids are," Rick refused, glancing up at the RV where Dale was steadfastly keeping watch and avoiding everyone except for Amy and Andrea, "and you know how Dale feels about it. This is what's happening. Swallow it."

Shane scowled at Daryl, but Daryl paid no mind. Instead he went up to Carol and Sophia and explained the plans.

"You're going to leave the farm?" Carol asked, frowning. Daryl sighed heavily.

"Hopin' for a short run, maybe an hour, but ya never know with Rick," he said, "I'm more concerned about what's goin' on 'round here. We need to put supplies together so if we need to, we can run."

"Do you think we'll need to?" Carol wondered, reaching out to touch his neck.

"Could be. Don't like how close them walkers were," Daryl replied, "Rick and Hershel are planning on fortifying this place, but it ain't hurt none to be prepared."

Carol was frowning at him and he knew she was reading his mood, "You're tense."

"I'm fine," he shrugged, giving her a peck on the cheek before he called to Sophia, "Rabbit, come on with me. Help me collect all the campin' gear."

Sophia agreed, more than ready to get off of dish duty. Carl was glaring as he dried the last set of dishes. Things had been tense between the two children since their incident yesterday. They hardly talked and avoided looking at each other if they could help it. Daryl got into the truck and Sophia hopped into the passenger's side. He then drove out to his former campsite to collect his stuff.

"What's goin' on with Houdini?" Daryl asked as he parked the truck.

"Carl?" Sophia asked, "Nothing."

"Ain't seem like nothin'," Daryl commented, picking up his tent and throwing it in the back, "Boy ain't said two words to ya and normally we can't shut ya two up."

Sophia was quiet for a moment, but then she answered, "He was mad I told and then because I wouldn't go with him to the barn last night to watch…you know…"

"Pfft. Tell the little asshole to get over it. He was gonna get in trouble either way and it's a damn good thing that ya didn't go to the barn," he told her. As much as Daryl cared about Carl Grimes, he would set the boy straight if he was being an asshole to Sophia.

"I don't like the barn," Sophia said quickly. Daryl breathed out and glanced around, searching for the words to say. He noticed Shane and Lori talking by the old windmill. That could be trouble, he thought, but he wouldn't need to worry about it in a couple hours. He shook his head and turned back to Sophia.

"The dreams aren't gettin' any better are they?" he wondered, "I'm sorry for throwin' 'em in your face yesterday."

"I never want Mom to have to look like that," Sophia said, making sure he knew that she was serious.

"I know, Soph. I know," he sighed, "I'm gonna do what I can to keep you and your mom safe, but I need your help with that, Kid. I'm not always gonna be 'round to shoot the walker in the head. That's when ya need to be thinkin' and usin' them brains of yours to keep yourself alive. Don't matter what other people say or try to do. If ya think it's gonna hurt ya, then figure a way outta it," Daryl paused and knelt down to her level, "Ain't nothin' can kill a Dixon 'cept a Dixon…and I reckon you're a Dixon now, Rabbit."

"I am?" she asked, blinking in wonder. Daryl nodded.

"Yeah. You're a Dixon," he said, "Now let's get this shit packed up. Then when we get back we can unload the motorcycle."

Sophia and Daryl worked in silence with the girl shooting Daryl random smiles every so often. Daryl stood by what he said. When Hershel had referred to the four of them as 'The Dixons', he would have been lying if he said he wasn't a little bit proud of the fact that Carol and Sophia were considered his. Carol had said, upon being introduced to the Greenes, that she was leaving the name Peletier behind and now preferred her maiden name, Davidson, in place of her bastard husband's name. He had been entertaining thoughts of Carol sharing his name for ages, for all of that year in the other timeline. He had just never said anything, one of his biggest regrets. Now, of course, he had another chance, but he figured that proposing the idea to Carol now was too soon.

Sophia and Daryl then drove up to the main camp where they packed up Carol and Sophia's things. Then they drove up to the house, where Rick was descending the porch steps.

"What's the plan, Man?" Daryl asked.

"I need to go have a chat with Carl," Rick sighed, "Think you can give me twenty minutes?"

"Sure. We'll get the bike unloaded," Daryl shrugged. Hopefully he was going to talk some sense into the kid. Daryl then moved to unload the bike, chatting with T-Dog and Miguel when they walked over to help.

"Daryl?" Sophia asked, sitting up on top of the cab of the truck with her feet dangling down into the box.

"What's up, Rabbit?" he grunted, easing the bike down the plywood ramp.

"Shane just went into the forest with that guy…the bad one. Randall," she observed. Daryl's head snapped up and he looked to the treeline. He couldn't see anything, but he knew that Shane was taking the prisoner to his execution.

"You sure, _Amiga_?" Miguel asked.

"He was there!" Sophia said.

"Miguel, get Rick. T, you and I need to get everyone inside," Daryl ordered, "Sophia, house. Now!" he barked, running for the house. He burst inside, finding Maggie, Glenn, Hershel, Carol, Amy, and Andrea.

"Daryl, what's wrong?" Carol asked, Lily resting in her arms. Sophia ran in past him and stood beside her mother.

"Shane's doin' somethin' stupid!" Daryl panted, "Stay in here, lock the doors, and don't open 'em unless it's me, Rick, Glenn, or T! Glenn, you're with us!"

Then he was gone with Glenn hot on his heels. Miguel and T-Dog gathered the others, who Rick ordered to get inside.

"T, Miguel, you guys stay here! Daryl, Glenn, you're with me!" Rick barked. The three men took off towards the woods, Daryl in the lead, scanning for Shane and Randall's tracks to guide them. Daryl didn't know what they would do when they found them, but they'd need to figure it out. They heard heavy footfalls coming towards them. Rick cocked his gun and Daryl raised his crossbow.

Shane suddenly tumbled through the brush, catching himself as he stumbled, blood dripping from his broken nose to his mouth. Shane gasped, "R-Rick?" he was caught off guard. He wasn't expecting them to be there.

"Shane, what happened?" Rick demanded, only lowering his weapon slightly.

"He jumped me!" Shane bellowed, getting his bearings, "He jumped-"

"Kid weighs a buck twenty-five soakin' wet," Daryl snarled, "Ya tryin' to say he got the jump on ya?"

"A rock evens out the playing field, don't it?" Shane snapped back.

"Enough!" Rick yelled, "Where is Randall?"

Before Shane could answer, Daryl beat him to it, "There's blood on that tree."

He walked over to it, ignoring Shane's feeble explanation of, "I fell against that tree."

"Think that's bullshit!" Daryl ejected, coming around the tree and meeting the walking corpse of Randall. His dying injury was the broken neck courtesy of Shane Walsh. Daryl shot a look back at Shane before he aimed. He had to adjust a little to get the walker into his sights.

Daryl pulled the trigger on his bow, but then a loud BANG filled his ears. Then all he registered was searing pain in the left side of his head as he collapsed to the ground.

"NO! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"DARYL!"

Rick and Glenn's screams of terror were muffled. The last thing Daryl remembered before he passed out was the sight of his own blood dripping in front of his eyes.

**TBC**

**I think you guys can guess what happened.**

**Next chapter: Daryl receives a warning and their time on the farm is ending.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	27. Escape

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Lot's of action ahead! Enjoy!**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 26: Escape**

_We already know how it ends tonight  
You run in the dark through a firefight  
And I would explode just to save your life  
Yeah, I would explode_

_Let me light up the sky  
Light it up for you  
Let me tell you why  
I would die for you  
Let me light up the sky_

_I just wanna be where you are tonight  
I run in the dark looking for some light  
And how will we know if we just don't try?  
We won't ever know_

_Let me light up the sky just for you tonight  
Let me help you fly cause you won't have time  
To cover your eyes or get your disguise  
They won't ask you why, they'll just watch you die_**  
…Yellowcard – Light Up the Sky**

* * *

**_Daryl groaned loudly as he opened his eyes. His head was fucking killing him and the bright light of the white dream world was fixing to make his skull bust wide opened. He tried to sit up, but even the slightest movement caused pain to shoot through him._**

**_"It's alright, Baby. Just lay back. Breathe," an angel's voice directed. Carol's form came into view as she leaned over him, her hand resting over his rapidly beating heart. She looked as she had the last time he had seen her in the dream world, with her silver hair curled in wisps around her face and that simple blue dress hanging from her thin frame._**

**_"Carol," he groaned, revelling in her touch as she gently caressed the side of his face with her other hand. She smiled down at him._**

**_"Relax, Daryl. Just lay back," she directed._**

**_"Gettin' a lil' cozy, I see," Merle's voice snickered from the side. Daryl turned his head to the right and could see his brother leaning on a white wall, smirking as he observed the pair._**

**_"Both of you?" Daryl wondered._**

**_"Yep," Merle replied, a little louder than Daryl believed to be necessary, "Now getcha pansy ass up, Boy!"_**

**_Daryl tried to move, but once again his brain was beating on his skull. Carol gently pushed him back down, "Don't listen to him. He's only here to tell you that he told you so," she informed him, rolling her eyes in Merle's direction._**

**_"I did tell him so!" Merle protested loudly, kicking off from the wall and approaching them, "I warned him that Officer Psycho was one dangerous fuck and instead of doin' somethin' 'bout it, this dumbass gets himself shot in the head by the asshole!"_**

**_"I was shot?" Daryl demanded, sitting upright and trying to fight through the pain in his head, "Shane shot me?" he gasped._**

**_Carol took his face in her hands, "Shh. It was just a graze, Baby. You'll be alright."_**

**_"Yeah, Baby, you'll be just fine," Merle mocked, smirking. Carol shook her head and rolled his eyes._**

**_"Merle, remember that talk we had in the prison?" she asked through clenched teeth. Merle snorted._**

**_"What? Ya gonna slit my throat in my sleep?" Merle scoffed, "Newsflash, Sugar Tits, I'm already dead!"_**

**_"I can still make your afterlife miserable, Merle, and you know it," Carol challenged calmly. If it weren't for the headache, Daryl would have been turned on watching his woman go toe-to-toe with his brother._**

**_"What now?" Daryl asked groggily. Carol let out a breath and then she and Merle exchanged an uneasy look._**

**_"They're coming," Carol said, "Right now. You need to get everyone organized. Get Sophia, Lily, and Carl in the RV with Dale. Fight if you can, but you need to get to the highway as soon as possible or else Rick and everyone there could be in danger."_**

**_"What?" Daryl wondered, frowning._**

**_"Shit, Mouse. Ya makin' it easy for him," Merle chuckled. Daryl's head was in a vice, distracting him._**

**_"I don't-"_**

**_"Listen, Brother," Merle said, kneeling down to Daryl's level, "Ya get my girl outta there. Leave Blondie behind."_**

**_"What are you two-"_**

**_"Honey, focus!" Carol chided, catching his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her, "Once you get on the road, you lead the group anywhere but the prison. You got it, Daryl?"_**

**_"What? Why?" he was so confused and it didn't help that Merle and Carol were fading._**

**_"Do not go to the prison," Carol warned as she and Merle disappeared. _**

Daryl was awake, but he had yet to open his eyes. Muffled shouts filled his ears and then a sharp cry.

"Shh. It's alright, Sweetheart," Carol cooed and the cry turned into soft coos, "Uncle Daryl's going to be okay."

He sure as hell didn't feel okay. His head ached something awful.

"I heard her cry," Jacqui's voice sounded, "They must have woken her."

"They did," Carol replied, her voice sounding less than amused, "I'm getting sick and tired of this bullshit."

Carol was swearing and that made Daryl crack open one eye. Carol was standing at the foot of the bed with Lily in her arms. Jacqui was standing in front of the closed door.

"Honey, I know, but you know that they need to figure out what to do about this-"

"Jacqui, there's nothing to figure out!" Carol protested, "Shane's been on Daryl's case since the barn incident. Most of the time, he doesn't even have a reason to go off on Daryl, he just does and then Daryl's sporting a black eye or a bloody nose or a cut lip!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down to avoid startling Lily, "I mean, Jesus, you should see the bruises from yesterday," she vented, swaying slightly, "And now there's this."

"Shane said it was an accident," Jacqui said, "He said that he reacted, pulling his gun to shoot the walker, and didn't realize Daryl was standing there."

"Shane says a lot of things," Carol spat, "He knew what he was doing. It wasn't an accident."

"We don't know that, Honey," Jacqui replied, reaching out to try to calm her friend, "Until we know everything, it might be best to reserve judgement. I know you're worried about Daryl, but slapping Shane earlier maybe wasn't the best course of action."

Daryl couldn't help the smile on his lips. She had slapped Shane.

"It made me feel better," Carol groused. Daryl was about to speak when the door burst opened. Jacqui barely managed to move out of the way when Sophia ran for her cot. Carol started, "Baby, what's wrong?"

"I hate Carl!" Sophia cried, flinging herself down on it.

"Why?" Carol asked. Sophia's response was muffled by her pillow. Dale answered for her, stepping into the room.

"The kids were listening to the others talk about what happened," he explained, "Then they got into an argument themselves about Shane and Daryl."

"He called Daryl an idiot for standing in the way!" Sophia interjected angrily, "And then he said I was one too for thinking Shane did it on purpose!"

"Ain't an idiot, Rabbit," Daryl mumbled and every eye was on him. Carol passed the baby off to Jacqui as she moved to his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, gently caressing his cheek. It felt heavenly.

"I'll live," he groaned, shifting to sit up despite the pounding in his head. He brought his hand up to his head and felt the bandage tied to his head. The room was lit by a lamp, but outside, the sky had given way to twilight. He felt panic overtake him, but at the moment, he wasn't completely sure why.

"Daryl?" Carol asked, concerned. She must have felt his heartbeat in his chest.

"How long have I been out?" he wondered.

"An hour maybe," Carol answered, "Shane shot you in the side of the head. Daryl-"

He moved then, swinging his legs over the side and getting to his feet. He was unsteady and shaky, causing Carol and Dale to move to help him.

"Son, you need to lay back down," Dale chided, "You're not at a hundred percent-"

"I'm fine," Daryl brushed him off, take a couple steps away from them and using the wall to brace himself. He could hear the yelling in the next room, but he paid it no mind as he got himself to the front door.

"Daryl, what are you doing?" Carol demanded. She, Dale, and Sophia followed him while Jacqui stood in the doorway of the bedroom with the baby in her arms. Daryl didn't answer, instead opening the door and stepping into the cool night air. Finally, he managed to stand without assistance as he stared off in the direction of the barn. His stomach lurched. In the pale light, just behind the barn, were hundreds of tiny forms illuminated in the distance.

"Daryl-" Carol stopped cold when she realized what he was staring at.

"My God," Dale breathed.

"Get the others," Daryl said, "We gotta get the hell outta here."

Carol and Sophia ran for the house while Dale stayed outside, his eyes fixed on the younger man.

"Son, how-"

Rick, Shane, and Hershel burst through the front door followed by the rest of the group.

"My God," Rick breathed.

"Patricia, kill the lights," Hershel ordered.

"I'll get the guns," Andrea volunteered.

"Maybe they'll just pass like the herd on the highway," Glenn suggested, placing an arm around Maggie's waist, holding her close, "Maybe we should all just go inside."

"Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know 'bout. Herd that size will rip the house down," Daryl spat. It was too soon for the herd to get here, but they must have been attracted by the shot in the woods. Maggie and Andrea passed out guns, making Glenn start.

"Maggie…" he breathed, realizing that she and her father were planning to fight.

"You grow up country, ya learn a thing or two," Maggie replied. Something in her voice seemed to indicate that she knew that the Korean would follow her willingly into whatever battle lay before them.

"They've got the numbers," Daryl said, chewing his thumb nervously as Carol accepted a handgun, "We gotta get the hell out of here."

"You can go if you want," Hershel said, grabbing his shotgun.

"Ya gonna take 'em all on?" Daryl demanded in disbelief.

"We have guns. We have cars," Hershel said, pumping his shotgun.

"We'll kill what we can and then use the cars to lead them away," Andrea suggested.

"Ya serious?" Daryl had forgotten how much they had wanted to defend the farm.

"This is my farm. I'll die here," Hershel stated, moving down his porch steps. Daryl sighed. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen.

"Let's go!" Rick directed, "Miguel, you're with me! Andrea and T take the truck! Shane and Jimmy in the car!"

"Maggie and Glenn can take my truck!" Daryl hollered, "Rest of us need to get the kids and as much shit into the RV as we can! Meet on up at the highway!"

The fighters ran for their cars while Dale went to the RV, bring it to life. Daryl ran back in the house and started grabbing all the shit that he could find and putting it together in bags. He and his girls hadn't don't much unpacking, so it was easy to grab their shit. He ran outside, nearly running into Particia as she carried a box full of whatever cans were in the pantry cupboard. He jumped into the RV and deposited his load, finding Jacqui already inside with Lily. Amy was beside her, pale as a ghost.

"Stay in here! Take care of her for me," Daryl directed them. Behind him, he could hear Lori and Carol telling their children to stay in the RV, charging Amy to look after them. Then the women were running back to the house with him as the cars bought them time. Engines revving and gunshots filled the air as they worked to fling as much as they could into the RV. Daryl stopped moving as the walkers neared that flimsy wire fence, watching with his bow on his back and his gun drawn. His head ached something awful, but adrenaline pushed that ache from his conscious thought for the time being as he anxiously watched over his family as they worked. When the walkers came through the wire, he raised his gun and began to fire alongside Hershel as they took out any walkers that slipped through the vehicle patrols. It was almost manageable.

"Behind the house!" Carol screamed. Daryl turned and saw that some of the walkers had slipped off to the side and were coming through the treeline at the back of the house, shuffling around towards them.

"FUCK!" he swore loudly, lurching around and firing.

"We need to go!" Lori cried, grabbing Beth and Patricia to drag them to the RV. Carol was following, but veered away when three walkers stumbled forward and sank their teeth into Patricia. Carol had been inches away from the same fate.

Daryl moved then, running towards Carol before she got trapped between the walkers and the house. Patricia's dying screams filled the air along with cries of terror and bullets. Daryl reached Carol as she pulled the small handgun, firing to defend herself. Her first couple shots went wide, but then she connected with a walker only a few feet from her. Daryl came up beside her, firing with her.

"Stay with me!" he ordered, "Just breathe and remember what we did in training!"

Suddenly Andrea was in the fray, taking out walkers with them as Lori and Beth were ushered into the truck with T-Dog. Daryl glanced up and noticed that the RV was already moving down the drive and into the darkening night. Good. His kids were safe. He then focused on the walkers. Andrea shot two to their right. She smiled confidently.

"Look out!" Carol screamed a warning. Andrea turned and hit the walker behind her just as it was about to bite down. It fell on her. Daryl raised his gun, fixing to help her when it clicked empty.

"FUCK!" he cried, stashing his gun in his belt and taking his knife.

"I'm out too!" Carol screamed, panic lacing her voice. He grabbed for his back-up knife and pressed it to her hand.

"Stay by me!" he called to her, his shoulder pressing to hers. He glanced at Andrea, struggling under the corpse, but then his view was blocked by a group of about ten walkers as they cut her off from him. If they didn't move, they'd be surrounded and have a whole mess of problems. He cursed again, "DAMMIT! We gotta move! Get to the bike!"

Carol's first hand-to-hand kill was sloppily executed (and nearly gave him heart failure), but her knife sank into the walker's eye all the same. He had to pull her away from it as it fell towards her, taking out another walker near her looking to get close to its next meal.

"Hit 'em with more force!" Daryl directed. Her arm was still grasped in his free hand as he guided her away from the fray. They fought together then, taking out the wall of walkers separating them from the motorcycle. Her next kills were quick and efficient as the training kicked into her brain. She had even covered his back, saving him from the snapping jaws of the walkers. He was so damn thankful he had thought to teach them all something beforehand.

"They're leaving us!" Carol panicked as the walker obstructing her vision fell. She saw taillights in the dark, heading down the drive. Rick's suburban was speeding out of sight. There were no more cars on the farm.

"We'll get to the bike and get the fuck outta here!" Daryl called to her. He now understood how she felt the first time around, watching as all forms of safety drove away. He slashed at another walker and turned to glance back where they left Andrea. The bag of guns that she had carried was gone and a portion of the herd was heading into the trees in pursuit of something, probably the blond as she made her escape. He paid his attention to the walkers. There was a lull now between the first wave and the second one. If they managed to get into that space, they could make it to the bike in that time, while the remnants of the first wave were pursuing the retreating cars in vain, they would have time to bring his motorcycle to life and get through the slobbering freaks. He pulled Carol with him.

"Baby, I need ya to run as hard as ya can!" he instructed, "NOW!"

They ran together for the bike. He was on it, stashing his bow in the side bag and kicking the motorcycle to life. She was behind him, gripping him tightly as he lurched forward, carrying them away from the farm.

They had made it. They had survived again.

The adrenaline was wearing off as the sped down the road and the headache was returning with a vengeance. His brain was pounding against his skull harder than ever, enough to make his eyes water. His vision was beginning to blur and he knew that if he kept on, he would end up killing both of them in a crash. He pulled over as they neared a creek, putting down the kickstand and turning off the engine.

"Daryl?" Carol questioned, but he couldn't answer her. The pain was shooting through him and he lurched over, emptying his stomach into the ditch. He grasped at his head, willing the pain to go away.

"Daryl, sit down," Carol demanded, forcing him to put his ass down on the pavement. She rubbed his back with one hand and then her other one was digging inside her bag on her hip. He registered the rattling of a pill bottle. He brought his eyes up and saw her shaking three pills into her hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Aspirin," she replied, "You haven't taken anything for the pain yet. I don't have any water, though."

"Creek," he nodded towards the shallow stream of water.

"I'll help you," she offered. Carol guided him down the slight embankment to the edge of the water. She put the pills in his hand and he swallowed them, cupping creek water in his hands to wash them down. He grimaced at the swampy taste, but he wouldn't be drinking any more than that. He then glanced over at her, bathed in the pale moonlight. Her bright eyes shone and her brow knitted in concern, making the dried blood spatter on her face move slightly.

"Need a minute. Then we'll go," he said, taking his red bandana and wetting in in the water. He held it to her, "Ya got some blood on ya face. Ain't bit or scratched or nothin', are ya?"

"No. I'm fine," she assured him, taking the rag and wiping the blood from her face, "You?"

"Nah. Just my fuckin' head is killin' me," he sighed, putting his head into his hands to try to ease the pain.

"Take as long as you need. After I do me, I'll take care of you," she said, scrubbing the blood away from her skin. He would later blame it on the concussion, but he couldn't help but chuckle slightly. It dawned on her how he had taken her sweet offer and she hit his arm playfully.

"Daryl!" she scolded, laughing, "You know what I meant."

"Can't believe ya didn't realize," he commented, turning his head to grin at her. He had come to learn over the years that she was the damn queen of the double entendre and she took every opportunity to make him turn fifty shades of red.

"I guess I'm just more concerned about the blood on your face right now," she said, dipping the rag back into the water and wringing it out. She moved so that she was in front of him and gently lifted his head up. His eyes closed as she began to wipe the blood away.

"Ya did good, Sweetheart," he whispered, enjoying the feel of the cool fabric on his face as she worked.

"I had a good teacher," Carol replied, "Daryl, I'm going to look under the bandage. You've bled right through it. I have some bandages in my bag."

"Anythin' ya don't have in that bag, Woman?" he wondered as she peeled back the bandage on his head, "Pills, bandages, grenades…"

"It's not uncommon to have aspirin on hand," Carol huffed, "And if you're a mother, you learn to carry a mini first-aid kit around. The grenade might have been a bit much," she admitted, smiling. She cupped some water in her hand and let it drip over his head, flushing out the wound. She then reached into her bag for a clean cloth and pressed it to his head, allowing it to soak up the moisture.

"I ever told ya how bad-ass ya looked passin' that thing to Rick in the CDC?" Daryl wondered. She giggled and blushed.

"No one's ever called me a 'bad-ass' before. How concussed are you?" she teased him, shaking her head.

"Ya are. We wouldn't have escaped that death trap without ya," he told her, his hands moving to her sides, "Ya kick ass in trainin'…hell, ya kicked ass tonight with that herd…and Shane too, I hear. Heard ya hit him."

She coloured a little more as she checked to see if his wound was still bleeding, "Rick and Glenn brought you in unconscious and covered in blood. They said it was Shane and I…well…reacted," she explained.

"Bad-ass," he repeated, smiling. She frowned slightly as she pressed the cloth back to his head.

"Was it an overreaction?" she asked, "Was it an accident?"

He looked at her for a long moment and sighed, "I looked back at Shane when we found Randall. He saw me. Then I turned back and the fucker shot me."

"He did it in front of Rick and Glenn?" she asked, "Why?"

"'Cause I figured him out. He took Randall out there to kill him…maybe come back to camp, tell us the bastard escaped, and lure us out into the forest. Hell, he probably woulda tried goin' after me anyway, or Rick. We just got the jump on him before he could do it," Daryl explained, waiting as she dug into her bag for some polysporin for his cut, "Surprised him and when it looked like I was gonna rat him out to Rick, he thought he'd off me. Took the chance to make it look like an accident. If I didn't take a step to the right, I'd be dead right now."

Carol shuddered slightly, "We're not safe with him."

"Hopefully the fucker got himself killed," Daryl sighed as she bandaged his head.

"And if he didn't?" Carol asked worriedly. He frowned. What if Shane did make it to the highway? Rick had gotten to the highway first the last time. If Shane got there and Lori was still missing, the asshole was liable to go apeshit on Rick, and this time around, there was an RV with his kids inside of it on that highway and who knows what the asshole would do then. Suddenly Carol's warning in the dream became clear.

"If he didn't, then somethin's gonna be done 'bout him," Daryl assured her, "For now, though, we'd better get to the highway. That's where the kids are. Last thing I want is them bein' there without us. Herd could roll through."

"Or Shane could get there first," Carol added, apparently sharing his thoughts, "Are you okay to drive?"

"Gonna have to be," he sighed, getting to his feet. In truth, he was feeling a little better now that he had a breather. He chuckled a little as they made their way back to the bike, "Might have to teach ya to drive the bike at some point. Be a real bad-ass then."

She smiled, "Well, I am dating a man with a bike now. Maybe I oughta."

Again, the word 'dating' just sounded so insignificant in the zombie apocalypse and it just sounded awkward describing them, two grown people who would gladly go through hell for one another. He had lost count of the number of times that he nearly lost her in the other timeline. He remembered much too vividly the day that he had actually lost her. And then tonight, he had come within inches of losing her again. The idea of losing her again without her knowing…

_"Daryl!" Rick was running after him as Daryl staggered towards the prison gates, "Daryl, stop! Don't do this!"_

_Rick's hand came down on Daryl's shoulder, forcing the redneck to stop. He heard Rick let out a sigh._

_"I'm sorry, Brother. I know…I know you loved her-"_

_"Ya don't," Daryl choked out, his words cloaked with grief, "Ya don't got a fuckin' clue!"_

_"Daryl, I lost my wife-"_

_Daryl turned then, grabbing Rick's shirt, staining it with Carol's blood, and pinned his friend to the chain-link fence, "Ain't the same thing!" he yelled. Rick's face was blurry as tears filled Daryl's eyes._

_"AIN'T NEVER FELT THAT WAY 'BOUT NOBODY! AIN'T NEVER LOVED NOBODY 'CEPT HER AND I AIN'T EVER GONNA AGAIN!" Daryl screamed. He reached into his pocket then. He opened his hand and revealed the set of wedding bands that he had picked up on a run the week before, but had lacked the courage to give to the woman in question. Rick's eyes were wide as he realized to what extent his guarded friend had loved Carol._

_"Daryl-"_

_"Just leave me the fuck alone!" Daryl snapped, allowing the bands to fall to the ground before he made his escape into the forest, hoping and praying that he could outrun the weight of his grief over the death of the only woman he had ever loved._

"I love ya," Daryl said for the first time. Carol's smile widened and leaned up to kiss him.

"I love you too."

He kissed her this time and when he pulled away, he said, "Gonna love ya 'til the day I die, Carol. Don't wanna rush ya or nothin', but ya gotta know…I wanna be with ya for the rest of my life. Wanna raise those two kids with ya," he took a breath, gathering up every bit of his courage, "Wanna be more than just ya boyfriend."

She looked at him for a long moment, her face serious in the pale light. He had never been so nervous in his life, hoping that she understood his desire to let his feelings known and that she wouldn't think it was too much too fast.

"You already are, Daryl," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest, no doubt feeling his heart beating against his chest for her, "And I want the same."

"Ya do?" he asked.

"I do," she said back, sending a shiver up his spine. Moans and shuffling caught their attention. In the distance, they could see a large group of walkers heading their way. Carol sighed and moved away from him so she could straddle the back of the bike, "And we'll finish this conversation after we get to the highway and get our kids."

"I'm with ya, Woman," Daryl agreed, getting on the bike and kicking it back to life. He was with her and if he had his way, it would be for a very long time. They had some shit to deal with first, but Daryl was secure in the knowledge that she knew where he stood. Her arms tightened around him as they made their escape and he had never been more thankful that once again she had escaped death on the farm by running to him.

**TBC**

**Well, I think the attack on the farm was sufficiently different, yet it stuck to a few major points. Also, I think dream!Merle&Carol offered up decent enough information to Daryl in order to serve my purposes. I just had to add the scene at the end with Daryl and Carol. Fighting side-by-side for the first time would really make them evaluate what they mean to each other.**

**Next chapter: The group returns to the highway and decisions are made about their future.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	28. Disarmed

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. The group makes it to the highway and some tense decisions are made. The song here was chosen on account of the relationship between Rick and Shane.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 27: Disarmed**

_Let him know that you know best  
'Cause after all you do know best  
Try to slip past his defense  
Without granting innocence  
Lay down a list of what is wrong  
The things you've told him all along  
Pray to God, he hears you  
And I pray to God, he hears you_

And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend  
Somewhere along in the bitterness  
And I would have stayed up with you all night  
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice  
You lower yours and grant him one last choice  
Drive until you lose the road  
Or break with the ones you've followed  
He will do one of two things  
He will admit to everything  
Or he'll say he's just not the same  
And you'll begin to wonder why you came  
**...The Fray – How to Save a Life**

* * *

Daryl breathed a sigh of relief as he caught sight of a pair of taillights ahead of them. He sped up a little to catch up and he realized it was the truck he had handed over to Glenn and Maggie. The truck slowed and Daryl pulled up beside them. Glenn had the window rolled down and he was grinning.

"You guys made it!" he cheered.

"No thanks to you fuckers," Daryl commented good-naturedly, "Fought our way oughta that fuckin' herd hand-to-hand."

Glenn's face fell, "Jesus…we left you guys?"

"Far as I could tell we was the last ones on the farm," Daryl said, "We lost Andrea in the sea of geeks."

"Have you seen my dad?" Maggie asked from the passenger's seat, fear evident in her voice, "Beth? Patricia? Jimmy?"

"Beth and Lori were in with T-Dog. Patricia went down. Haven't seen your dad or Jimmy," Daryl answered, "Headin' to the highway?"

"Yeah," Glenn answered, "We'll follow you guys?"

Daryl nodded and pushed in front to lead the younger pair of lovers to safety. A few miles down the road, Carol tapped his thigh and pointed to the right. At an intersection, another set of headlights shone in the dark. Daryl didn't stop as he passed the blue truck that held T-Dog, Beth, and Lori. He checked his mirrors and grinned as they turned out behind Glenn and Maggie.

They reached the traffic snarl and even over the hum of the bike, Daryl could tell something big was going on. He eased by the vehicles and the RV came into view, illuminated by a set of headlights.

Shane and Rick were screaming at each other while Jacqui and Dale hovered near the RV where the children were corralled. Amy stood against the RV between Miguel, Hershel, and Jimmy.

Then Shane raised his gun and fired, the BANG echoing all around. The walker he aimed at went down, but Shane still held his rifle at the ready. Daryl felt a sliver of fear course through him. All it would take would be a small movement of Shane's finger and then everyone could be in some serious danger.

"THAT'S GOING TO ATTRACT EVERY-" Rick's scream was abruptly cut off when the roar of the motorcycle overpowered him. He shielded his eyes as the headlamp hit his face. Daryl eased the bike to a stop and cut the engine.

"Stay behind me," Daryl growled to Carol, glaring at Shane. For his part, the ex-cop let his weapon fall as he watched Lori dash for her husband. Maggie and Beth reunited with their father. Jacqui was out of the RV and met T-Dog in an embrace. Glenn was grinning, clapping hands with Rick as he walked over to the Greenes.

"MOM!" Carl cried out, tumbling out of the RV and racing towards his mother.

"MOMMA! DARYL!" Sophia was behind Carl, running towards them. Carol got off the bike to meet her, holding her close.

"It's alright, Sweetheart. We're here," Carol soothed, wiping away tears from Sophia's cheeks. For a moment, Daryl was able to appreciate how scared the girl probably was, first with the farm getting overrun, then getting separated from them, and finally with witnessing whatever hissy-fit Shane was throwing. She then moved from her mother's embrace to hug Daryl, which he returned, feeling relief course through him. He glanced up at the rest, noticing that Dale was smiling, holding Lily in his arms, and then that Amy was walking around, searching for her sister.

"Andrea?" Amy finally whimpered. The smile slipped from Dale's face and Daryl felt his stomach drop.

"Saw her go down," T-Dog said somberly. Amy crumpled and Daryl and Miguel both moved toward her. Dale descended the steps and Carol moved to take the baby from him, Sophia following closely behind.

"She was helpin' us," Daryl said as he watched Miguel kneel beside her, "We got separated. I think she mighta tore off into the woods."

"She's alive?" Amy asked, staring tearfully at her, "We have to find her! We have to go back!"

"Into that herd?" Shane asked doubtfully, "Not a chance! We don't even know she's still alive!"

"She's my sister!" Amy shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"Amy, if she did make it out, then she won't be at the farm," Rick said rationally, "She'll be far away and-"

"Walkers!" Glenn hissed suddenly. Everyone looked up and noticed about ten walkers starting to shuffle towards them. Rick turned towards Shane, glaring at him.

"Everybody get in the cars!" Rick spat, "We've gotta get out of here!"

"NO!" Amy sobbed.

"Amy, _mi querida_, we've gotta go!" Miguel said as he and Dale worked to pull her back to the RV. Daryl turned to Carol.

"Ya ride in the RV with the girls. I'll be right in front of ya," he directed. The group scattered, this time sticking to loved ones like glue. Lori and Carl ran to the suburban with Rick. The Greenes, Glenn, and Jimmy clamoured into the red truck. Jacqui and T-Dog ran for the farm truck. Shane found himself alone in his car and for a moment, he seemed almost stunned by that.

Daryl kicked the motorcycle to life and sped down the road, checking his mirrors every so often to ensure that the caravan followed him into the day. He led them off of the interstate and onto a secondary road. If his memory served him, they would come upon an old gas station by afternoon sometime if none of them ran out of gas. One of the tasks the day before had been to ready the cars. Hopefully they hadn't burned too much fuel in the attack.

As he drove, he remembered Carol's warning against going to the prison. To him, it sounded crazy to stay away from the one place that had offered them sanctuary, but now he had time to wonder. If they got to the prison sooner, they would have shelter and more food than they would know what to do with once the prisoners were cleared out. They could begin making a life there.

The downside was the prison, while safe, was colder than hell in the winter time. Not to mention that the governor's troop had once eyed the prison, but had dismissed it due to the walkers in the yard. If that troop came across the prison and it was cleared and inhabited, war would come to them much sooner. If staying away from the prison was important to Carol in the dream, than he supposed that he might as well heed the warning. He knew places that the group could spend a little time at. It'd be a hard road, but they could survive it. They did it before.

By his estimate, they reached the gas station a little after noon and at the point, he knew that fuel tanks were running low. In the other timeline, this little fuel station had been an oasis after leaving the farm. It had a generator that would activate the pumps. Inside, they'd find a goldmine of supplies, ranging from vehicle parts and fluids to food to alcohol to some basic first-aid kits. He pulled up, got off his bike, and set to work. He cleared the station, his senses heightened as he called upon skills that he had not needed in a couple months. He killed the walker gas attendant and the pump jockey and that was all there was to it. The others were cautious as they exited the vehicles.

"It's clear," Daryl said, moving close to the RV where Carol was cradling Lily at the doorway. He pecked her on the cheek and took his niece from her arms, thankful to have her there again. She had survived her first herd, a milestone in their new world.

"How's your head?" she asked, "Do you need more aspirin?"

"Won't say no," he replied, glancing up as the rest of the group assembled around. Amy was sandwiched between Dale and Miguel, both of them taking it upon themselves to care for the grief-stricken blond. Jacqui and T-Dog leaned against the farm truck. The Greenes and Glenn and Jimmy stood in a semi-circle. Lori had Carl's back pressed to her front. Shane was glancing to the rest of them, a look of unease on his face. Rick stepped into the center of their ring.

"Before we go in, I think we need to discuss a few things first," he said, glancing towards Shane, "Things got out of hand at the farm…even before the walkers got there."

Then all eyes were turned towards Shane, who must have been feeling the weight of the stares. He stepped forward and spoke, "You mean me?"

"Yeah. I mean you," Rick snapped back. For a moment, Shane was silent. Then he sighed.

"I took matters into my own hands," he said, "I just…I just wanted this group to be safe. I thought I could do it and then you and Daryl wouldn't have to leave the farm," Shane lied, looking earnestly at Rick, "I bit off a bit more than I could chew. He got the jump on me, clocked me with a rock. I was stunned, but I was able to struggle with him. Snapped his neck. He came back and then you guys came up," he shook his head, "I was rattled, Man. I had just been attacked. When that walker…Randall…came up and I recognized it. I didn't believe it when ya said that Daryl and Andrea saw someone turn without a bite…and I reacted. Didn't realize Daryl was there 'til he went down. I feel awful about it…I…" at this, Shane looked to Daryl, "Man, I'm sorry. No hard feelings?"

Daryl glared at him. While Shane apologized, there was something there, in his eyes, something of a warning. Frankly, it pissed him off. He growled, "Ya shot me in the fuckin' head. 'Course there's hard feelin's!"

Shane nodded, clenching his jaw, and then his eyes flickered from Daryl to the baby in Daryl's arms. Every fibre of Daryl's being was on end, ready to react, but Shane just said, "I understand, Man. I'd have some hard feelings too. I'm glad you're still here. I mean, your baby…Carol, Sophia…they need you here."

The threat was barely noticeable as Shane poured on fake remorse, but Daryl picked up on it loud and clear. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to put an arrow in the son-of-a-bitch's head, but right now, he would come off as the deranged one. Then there was Carol, Sophia, and Lily to think about. If he reacted or said anything, what was to stop Shane from reaching down, grabbing his gun and shooting Daryl? Or worse, one of Daryl's girls? This was a bad fucking situation.

"Then there's the matter of the highway," Rick moved on, clenching his jaw. Carol turned to look at Daryl questioningly. He shook his head and made a 'shh' sound with his mouth.

"What happened on the highway?" Lori wondered, looking from her husband to Shane.

"I lost my cool when I realized we were all separated," Shane sighed, "I said some things that I didn't mean and I'm sorry," he apologized.

"You shot that walker," Rick accused.

"I was defending us, Rick!" Shane protested, "We had kids with us on that highway! I had to kill it-"

"By shootin' it, you brought those other walkers on us," Hershel stated calmly, looking less than impressed.

"I reacted-"

"With your gun," Rick cut across Shane, "Always with your gun, ain't that right, Brother? The barn? Daryl? The walker on the road?"

Shane narrowed his eyes, "What are you saying, Rick?"

"I'm saying that I think it'd be best if you handed me that rifle," Rick said. Suddenly Daryl understood what Rick was going to do and passed Lily to Carol so he could have his bow ready. Rick continued making demands, "along with you piece and your back-up."

Shane looked dumbfounded, "You're gonna take my gun?" he asked in disbelief, "With walkers everywhere-"

"Shane, you shot one of our own. You could have killed him," Rick stated, "You need to learn how to react without relying on your weapon-"

"We didn't have our weapons on the farm and I did just fine!" Shane snarled back.

"But lately, you haven't been!" Rick shot at him, "You've been firing without thought or consideration for your surroundings! You already had one accident! Do you want another?"

Shane grew quiet, hesitating. He glanced around, looking for help, but found none. Shane realized then that he was very much alone, that his temper had isolated him from the others. He brought his dark eyes back to Rick's, "For how long?" he asked, his voice tired.

"Until I believe that you can handle a weapon again," Rick said evenly, "I won't have you killing our own, Shane. If you can't swallow those terms, I suggest you get in that car now."

Shane looked around once more, looking for help, but again found no one who protested Rick's decision. His eyes lingered on Lori and Carl and the fight seemed to go out of him when Lori subtly shook her head.

"Fine," Shane agreed, passing his rifle to Rick and then reaching to turn over the handguns as well. Rick nodded to him and then regarded the group.

"We need to pull together. I know we suffered some pretty big losses last night and for that, I'm sorry," he said, glancing to the Greenes and to Amy, "We'll spend a night or two here and then we'll figure out where to go."

Rick then moved towards the station. The others began to collect their belongings and move inside. Carol looked at Daryl.

"What the hell was that?" she asked. He ran his hand through his hair.

"C'mon," he directed her into the RV and shut the door after Sophia followed. He sat down at the table.

"Why didn't you say something?" Carol demanded, shifting the baby in her arms.

"Say what?" Sophia asked.

"'Cause of what he said," Daryl revealed, ignoring Sophia for the moment, "Said that ya'll need me around…alive."

Comprehension dawned on Carol's face and if anything, she just looked a little bit pissed off about it, "Now he's threatening you?" she asked incredulously.

"Maybe not just me," he said, "Even without a gun, Shane's still dangerous. I can handle my own, but the fact is I'm not gonna be 'round the three of ya all the time. What if he decided to hurt ya or the girls?"

That made her pause, "Do you think he would?"

"Don't know what he's capable of," Daryl shook his head, "but I don't wanna take the chance."

"So while he's around, we're not safe," Carol worked out, "We can't stay here with him around."

Daryl groaned and considered what she was proposing: the four of them leaving together. It just wasn't feasible. Not with a newborn. They needed the protection and resources of the group.

"Momma, we can't leave," Sophia chirped, "All those walkers…"

The little girl looked scared. Even at her young age, she seemed to realize that there was safety in numbers. Daryl sighed, "Carol, ya are right 'bout us not bein' safe 'round him, but we can't leave, 'specially not with Lily bein' as small as she is. The group has supplies we need and they can give the girls more protection than we could on our own."

It was a rational argument and Carol knew it. She dropped down to sit beside him at the table and let out a long sigh, "So what do we do? Hope and pray that Shane doesn't decide to kill you in your sleep?"

Daryl snorted, "We don't give him a reason to want to. We don't talk 'bout the shooting and we stay the fuck away from him. Last thing I want is for any of us to be alone with him. Ya hear that, Soph?" he looked to the twelve-year-old, who nodded. Daryl, satisfied, then said, "Ya should probably avoid goin' off alone with Carl. Always want ya in our sights, ya hear?"

"Okay Daryl," Sophia agreed, "Don't like Carl too much right now anyways," she muttered. Carol exchanged a small smile with Daryl.

"Alright," he shrugged, "We best get inside."

With that the little family exited the RV carrying their own belongings for the night. Sophia was running a little ways up ahead.

"Sorry," he apologized, mostly because he figured he'd ought to say something.

"I understand, Daryl," she said, stopping their walk, "You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault Shane won't leave and Rick won't kick him out."

"Shane ain't leavin' willingly while Lori Grimes is alive. Poor asshole still has hope he's getting' back in her pants and she ain't exactly willin' to let him go," Daryl replied, "Woman's a fuckin' problem."

Carol made a noise of agreement and then said, "Miguel, Amy, and Dale filled me in on what happened at the highway. They said when Shane rolled up and realized Lori wasn't in the RV, he got anxious, starting to pace and freak out. That was when Jacqui and Dale decided to keep him out of the RV. Then when Rick got there with Miguel and Hershel, Shane freaked out, went off o Rick for not protecting Lori and spinning it to say that he didn't protect the group. That's why he fired at the walker on the highway…justified it by saying he was protecting the group and Rick wasn't."

"Then it's a damn good thing we rolled up when we did," Daryl said, "Rick mighta been the one with a bullet hole in him."

"I think you should talk to Rick about things," Carol suggested to him, moving again towards the station, "This situation…it's going to hurt someone."

"Readin' my mind again, Woman," he grunted back, holding the door for her. The group was milling about, gathering necessary supplies. Daryl himself went behind the counter, grabbing a pack of smokes while the kids went for the left over chocolate bars. The plan was to bed down in the main area of the gas station by pushing shelves against the doors and windows. Dale had brought his propane cook stove inside so they could at least eat and heat up a bottle for the baby. Before they tucked into the meal they had rationed out, Hershel stood up.

"Last night, we lost two good women as the herd took the farm. Let us take a moment to honor them. Patricia was a dear friend of mine. She helped me through some tough times and she was with me to celebrate the good. I know that right now, she is up in Heaven, watching down on us with Otis at her side. I hope she's at peace," the old man said. His daughters hugged each other close, each remembering the woman who helped care for them after their own mothers perished. Then Hershel looked to Amy.

"And though we do not yet know the fate of Andrea, let us hope and pray that she is still fighting the evils of this world with her passion, determination, and iron will. Let us pray, no matter where she is, that God is with her and that someday, He will see fit to reunite us with her once more, be it in this world or in His kingdom," Hershel said. Tears streamed down Amy's cheeks and Daryl found that he understood exactly what she was going through. Both of them were the younger siblings who often dealt with living in the shadows of those who came before them. Both of them had siblings who had been abandoned and both of them had no idea what their sibling was doing at that very moment. He watched as Amy nodded in thanks, but then as she took her helping and scooted off along, a little further away from the others. He decided to join her, sitting against the wall beside her. She stared down at the floor where her left hand would have been.

"I used to have this nervous habit where I'd drum my fingers against whatever surface," Amy said softly, looking over at him, "I'm doing it now. I can still feel it."

"Phantom limb," Daryl commented. Hershel had spoken about the sensation once or twice about his leg.

"It's stupid," Amy shook her head, swiping at tears, "My arm is gone and so is my sister."

"Andrea ain't gone," Daryl said, "We'll see her again."

Amy let out a humourless laugh, "Daryl, how could she survive? Even if she did escape the farm, she was on foot with who knows how many walkers after her. She had no supplies, no food-"

"She had the bag of guns."

"You don't know that," Amy cried, shaking her head, "Andrea's dead. I'm alone."

Daryl looked at her for a long moment before saying, "I once said that no one could kill Merle but Merle," and at this, Amy raised her eyes to meet his, "Bastard escaped Atlanta with one hand…and I know he's still alive."

"How?"

"Just do. My big brother is one tough son-of-a-bitch," Daryl shrugged, "Ya big sister's the same. Ya have no idea what that woman can surive. She's a lot like Merle that way. They're survivors. So are we," he said, "We're gonna see 'em again. Ya mark my words. Just gotta keep fightin' on, same as them."

"You really think so?" Amy wondered.

"Know so," Daryl replied, "'Til then though, ya ain't alone, Little Sis."

Amy's eyes were watering worse than ever, but there was a watery smile on her face. Then, in a move that made Daryl almost regret saying anything, she launched herself at him in a one armed hug. He sat stiffly, waiting it out as he noticed the others watching. He offered Carol a sheepish look and a shrug before Amy let him go and returned back to the circle in the center of the room. He moved back beside Carol, who took his hand and smiled.

The group finished their meal and then worked on finding places to bed down. Everyone was absolutely exhausted. Carol had been considerate and said the she, Daryl, and Sophia would take the small office in the back so that the baby wouldn't wake the others. In the main area, Shane had secluded himself in a corner, sitting on his sleeping bag and watching as the others paired up with loved ones. Jacqui and T-Dog were sitting together, talking softly. Daryl smiled, glad that Jacqui being around allowed T-Dog a bit of happiness. Lori had Carl curled next to her. Glenn had his arm around Maggie, their sleeping bag set up next to Beth. Hershel, seeming to accept Glenn in daughter's life, allowed this arrangement. The old farmer, however, did object to a similar one between Beth and Jimmy and was now setting his sleeping bag up in between the teenagers. Dale, Miguel, and Amy had set up their sleeping bags next to each other, Dale seeming to have adopted the two young adults.

It struck Daryl that this time around, everyone had somebody. In the other timeline, at this point, things had been different. Lori and Rick had been separated, making everything awkward and tense. Carl had been confused, unsure of which parent to side with. The Greenes and Glenn had each other. Then there were the three odd men out: Daryl, Carol, and T-Dog. None of them had any connections to the other and the three had formed an uneasy friendship at the beginning.

This change…it was nice. Well, for everyone but Shane, who looked as if he had also realized that everyone had someone, except for him. A realization like that could go one of two ways: it could force Shane to re-evaluate his actions and reform or it could cause Shane to do something drastic to reclaim some sense of belonging. Daryl had an inkling of what the result could be, which was why he decided that he ought to have that conversation with Rick.

Daryl found the man in question outside on top of the RV, keeping watch. When Daryl climbed up to join him, Rick smiled and greeted him, "It's good to see you up and around. That head wound hasn't slowed you down none."

"Still feel like there's a vice squeezin' my brain," Daryl admitted, "Didn't come up here to talk 'bout my head. Here to talk 'bout yours and where it's at."

"I say we spend a night or two here. Then we move on, head north a ways. See what supplies we can scrounge up," Rick planned.

Daryl nodded, not all that interested in their travel plans, and then asked, "And Shane?"

Rick let out a long sigh, "That is the question. I had hoped he'd take the out, but he didn't."

"You know he's dangerous, right?" Daryl asked, lighting a cigarette and saving his thumbnail from being chewed on, "You know he'd probably kill us both if he had half a chance."

"I do," Rick said evenly, "but he was my friend once, Daryl. My brother. That doesn't go away…not completely. He lost himself. If there's a way back for him, I owe it to him to help him get there."

"And if he hurts someone while you're tryin' to fix him? Ya really want that around? Why not cut him loose?" Daryl demanded.

"That's one of my biggest fears right now," Rick admitted, "but I thought about that, asking him to leave. Then I got thinking about the what if's. What if he follows us, terrorizes us? What if he finds another group and decides to take back what he thinks is his? Do you really want that? It's better for us if we know where he is. It's like that old saying: keep your friends close…"

"…and your enemies closer," Daryl finished sourly. Rick did make a convincing argument. The Governor and his men had fucked over the group enough in the future for just a bit more power and a little revenge. Daryl couldn't begin to think what Shane would do if given half a chance, fighting for power, revenge, love, and a child that was possibly his. Daryl frowned, remembering a similar conversation he had with Rick in the future regarding Daryl's own violent and impulsive brother.

_"Keep an eye on your brother," Rick directed, holding Judith close to him as he, Hershel, and Daryl leaned against the cell bars and listened to Beth sing, "I'm glad you're back, really. If he causes a problem, it's on you."_

_Daryl nodded slightly, and glanced to the cell door to the common room where Merle was leaning and listening to Beth._

"We'll keep him around…keep an eye on him," Daryl agreed, taking a drag of his cigarette before speaking again, "but if somethin' happens…if he hurts someone…it's on you, Brother."

**TBC**

**Okay, so before the outrage starts over me not killing Shane, it serves a purpose. Rick isn't stupid, just naïve as he tries to help his friend come back from the edge. Shane, now disarmed, is realizing how isolated he is and he has two ways to respond to that. Plus, he's a manipulator and charismatic. Daryl's first concern is for his family and he knows how horribly the group would be split over him killing one of their own, even if Lori is the only one who would probably give a damn. Anyway, let me know how you feel about Shane living and what you expect of him.**

**Next chapter: While Daryl is suspicious of Shane, someone in the group becomes suspicious of Daryl.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	29. Suspicious Minds

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. We're going to be doing a bit of a time skip here. Be prepared for some fluff and some suspicion.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 28: Suspicious Minds **

_You should know that the lies won't hide your flaws  
No sense in hiding all of yours  
You gave up on your dreams along the way, yeah_

_Good god, you're coming up with reasons  
Good god, you're dragging it out  
And good god, it's the changing of the seasons_

_Fake it, if you're out of direction  
Fake it, if you don't belong, yeah  
Fake it, if you feel like an infection  
Whoa, you're such a fucking hypocrite_

_I can fake with the best of anyone  
I can fake with the best of them all  
I can fake with the best of anyone  
I can fake it all_  
**…Seether – Fake It**

* * *

They ended up stretching three nights at the gas station without much issue. They decided it was time to move on after five walkers wandered into their midst. Daryl led the caravan day in, day out. Though Miguel and Amy offered to watch the girls in the RV, Daryl and Carol discussed it and they agreed that it wasn't fair for others to look after their kids so Carol rode in the RV with them. Sometimes they found shelter for the night and sometimes they didn't. On those nights, the women and children would take the RV and the men would sleep in the cars. Daryl bunked with Rick and Miguel inside the suburban, but it wasn't a restful sleep. Daryl's senses had been reawakened at the prospect of being on the road again and he now awoke at any significant noise. He worried relentlessly about his girls in the RV, but he was safe in the knowledge that Shane would not try anything with Hershel, Dale, and the other women in the RV.

Shane had been surprising to say the least. A combination of losing his gun and realizing that he was moving forward solo seemed to have switched a switch in Shane. He was helping more with chores now that he had been barred from watch. He was attempting to make connections, something which gave Rick hope, but made Daryl suspicious. The morning after their first night at the gas station, Shane had walked up to Rick and Daryl, pale as a ghost, and apologized to Rick for all of the fights. Rick couldn't help but grin like a fool as Shane declared that he'd rather have his friend back than go on like they were. Daryl, on the other hand, realized that Shane had more than likely had a nightmare of his death in the other timeline. Shane now knew what would have happened had he been able to lure Rick out. He knew that Rick would kill him if he had to and maybe it put a little deference into Shane, but Daryl was still suspicious. You don't just live next to a man who could kill you and not think about trying to get the jump on him.

Daryl eased his bike into a campground, a place that the group had spent a few days in the other timeline. After a week and a half of spending a night here and a night there, the group was in desperate need of a place to regroup and recuperate. It had been long since abandoned, campers clearing out to find their loved ones when news of the outbreak hit. It probably wasn't a very popular place beforehand as it was small, maybe room for a couple holiday trailers and a handful of tents. Camping had been done on the honor system with campers dropping their payment into a drop box so there was no manager's cabin. There was an outdoor group camp kitchen, which would be where they would establish their camp. Daryl chose this spot due to its isolation and its proximity to the woods and a small creek.

"We'll pull the RV up to the south side of the kitchen. It'll block the opening there. We'll park the vehicle along the east, west, and south sides of it to block those ones. It'll give us an easy escape if need be," Rick directed.

"Feels like the quarry all over again," Shane voiced.

"We haven't seen any walkers in this area," Rick stated, "We'll stay the night and then play it by ear. It'd be good to have a couple of nights here if we could. This camp stove will be good. We won't need a fire to call walkers to us."

Shane nodded and walked away. He seemed to be doing that more often than not, walking away and leaving Rick to make the decisions. It seemed that he really was swallowing it. The rest of the group followed Rick's directions and they made themselves a sheltered encampment. Any walkers would have a hard time squeezing between the walls of the cookhouse and the vehicles, though several of the vehicles now had scrapes and scratches on them.

"We should put up tarps over the open areas," Hershel suggested, "That way we can't be seen from a distance and it will protect us from the cold."

Jacqui, Jimmy, Glenn, and Maggie started on that task. Dale was up on top of the RV while Amy and Miguel brought out supplies. Lori was throwing a table cloth over a picnic table. Hershel took a look at the camp stove and determined that they would need some wood for it.

"I could grab some," T-Dog volunteered.

"I'll go with ya. See if I can rustle up some meat," Daryl added. Meat, at this point, sounded like heaven to the group and no one objected as T-Dog and Daryl headed into the woods.

"You think we're safe here?" T-Dog wondered. Daryl shrugged.

"For a couple nights at least," he estimated, "This group needs a break."

"What we need is something permanent," T-Dog sighed, "Eighteen people runnin' around with a baby is just asking for trouble. Rick asked Jacqui to inventory supplies back at that last farm house. We'll be lucky if we have enough for the month. Only one of us who will be eating good is going to be the baby. You and Andrea got her enough formula for about two more months," he listed.

"That pharmacy had a couple big bags of it," Daryl said, "but you're right. We need a permanent spot. Once we find that, we could go out on runs for supplies."

"It'd make people less cagey," T-Dog stated, "This situation with Shane has everyone on edge. You buy this whole nice guy act?"

"Hell no," Daryl replied, shaking his head, "Probably bein' as sweet as he can so he can get back his gun."

"I was surprised you didn't say nothing. Jacqui was too," T-Dog said, causing Daryl to pause, "He shot you."

"Honestly?" Daryl sighed, "I want nothin' more than to put an arrow in his head. Thing is if I say somethin', make Rick reconsider keepin' him around, we're gonna have another Randall situation 'cause the only way that SOB is leavin' us alone is if he's dead."

"You don't think he'd go if we told him?" T-Dog wondered as he stacked wood.

"Ya kiddin'?" Daryl asked incredulously, "Ya really think he's gonna leave Lori behind?"

T-Dog shook his head, "Man, I don't even wanna know how that situation is playing itself out. Sooner or later, somethin's gotta give. You see the way he eyes her?"

"Hard not to," Daryl replied, "Woman must have some magic lady parts or somethin' 'cause I can't see the appeal."

This earned him a chuckle, "I'm with you there, Man. Happy as hell to be where I'm at."

"Ya wanna take that load and head back?" Daryl asked, "I see some fresh tracks that look like deer. Gonna track it for a while. Tell Carol I'll be back before dark."

"You got it, Man," T-Dog said, a hint of admiration in the man's voice, "Bring us back some meat. That canned shit ain't good for anybody."

Daryl barked out a laugh and then headed deeper into the woods, tracking his prey like it was second nature. As always, being in the wild calmed Daryl and cleared his mind of all problems, even ones like Shane. He tracked the deer to a small stream. It was a yearling buck and it was dinner. He raised his bow and aimed. He brought the animal down with some satisfaction. They would be eating good for a while. With a grunt, he began to drag the animal back to their camp. He stopped at the edge of the treeline to begin the process of butchering it, using his trusty knife. He had been at it for a while when he heard footsteps approach and looked up to see Dale standing there.

"I see your hunt was successful," the old man commented, watching Daryl work.

"Gonna eat good for a while," Daryl commented without glancing up, "What ya doin' out here? Safer back at the camp kitchen."

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things," Dale admitted, "I thought it would be kinder to talk alone."

"'Bout what?" Daryl asked, still focused on his task.

"About the farm," Dale said. Now Daryl frowned and looked up, waiting for the old man to continue, which he did, "When you woke up after Shane shot you, you immediately got up and walked outside. Why?"

Daryl's frown deepened, "Needed air," he lied. Dale shook his head.

"I think it was more than that," he stated, "I think you knew that herd was coming."

Daryl looked uneasy. For the first time, someone was question him and his apparent knowledge of the future. Of course, it had to be Dale of all people. The hunter growled, on edge, "How the hell would I know something like that?"

"You tell me, Son," Dale shrugged, "How did you know how to save Amy? T-Dog? Sophia? How did you know that one day, we would sorely need those defense lessons? How did you know to go to Barksdale in time to find your niece?" he asked. Daryl hid any shock in his eyes by cutting angrily at his kill.

"Got lucky with Amy," he grunted shortly, "Saw T go down on the highway. Went after Sophia 'cause everyone else was leavin' it to Rick to save her and kill two walkers," he snapped, "And the defence was just a damn good idea in this shit-storm we're livin'. Got lucky with Lily."

"Then you are the luckiest man I know, Son," Dale commented. Daryl chose not to respond, now separating the edible meat from the waste. Dale sighed and continued, "There's more going on here than meets the eye, Daryl. You know it and I know it. Why else would I be dreaming what I'm dreaming?" the old man wondered. Daryl's eyes once again flickered up to look at him. Dale's thick eyebrows were partially hidden underneath his stupid bucket hat, but Daryl knew that they were knitted together in that Dale way.

"What do I care 'bout your dreams?" Daryl grunted.

"It's always the same one lately," Dale said, "It was after the decision was made about Randall. I was walking alone afterwards…without you. I came across a disembowelled cow and the walker that killed it. It took me down and tore me open," he recounted and Daryl once again had to avert his eyes as he remembered the moment he found Dale in the other timeline. Still, Dale continued, "You came up and killed the walker. You were screaming for the others. They came and Hershel said that I wouldn't make the trip to the house…I was suffering. Rick had his gun to my head, but he couldn't pull the trigger. You took it. I looked in your eyes when you pulled the trigger. I heard you say 'Sorry Brother', and that was it."

Daryl should have seen this coming. He should have realized that Dale would be having dreams, but unlike the others, his dreams would have been of Daryl performing a mercy killing. Daryl shrugged his shoulders, "That is one fucked up dream. Even more fucked up is that it's makin' ya loopy over nothin'."

"Don't do that," Dale reprimanded, "Don't play this off. You and I both know that this is not nothing."

Daryl said nothing again, glaring down at his bloody hands. Dale chose to continue once again.

"I think you somehow know what's going to happen before it does. I think you're trying to change things."

At this correct guess, Daryl stood, gathering the meat, and glared at the old man, "And I think ya crazy. Don't know nothin' 'bout anythin'."

He made to walk away, but Dale called out to him, "I can help! If you're trying to save the group, I can help you!"

Daryl stopped and considered it, but he quickly refused the idea. This time-travelling thing had happened to him and him alone. It was his burden to bear, his duty to save the people he loved. Having Dale know the truth would prove to be a disaster for him as the older man would surely reveal Daryl's secret to the others. That would only complicate things and would serve to fuel distrust within the group. What would happen when someone else died? The others would look to him, blame him for being unable to use his future knowledge to prevent it. It would shatter his fragile little family. No, he had to be smart about this. Careful. After all, if you wanted to do a job right, you had to do it yourself.

"Only thing I need help with is carryin' this shit back to camp," Daryl grumbled, "I don't know what you're ravin' 'bout, but ya sound as crazy as a fuckin' loon."

"Daryl, Son-"

"Just stop!" Daryl snapped, "If ya keep talkin' shit like this, the rest of the group is liable to think ya lost ya damn mind! No tellin' what they'll do with ya then!"

With that, Daryl stalked back to camp with Dale trailing behind him, silent, but Daryl could feel the disappointed, suspicious stare on his back. He hated being looked at in that way. It reminded him of the way he had always been regarded by others for being a redneck or a Dixon. Now Dale was looking at him like that for keeping the biggest secret of his life. He looked ahead to distract himself, noticing Lori and Shane gathering more kindling for the cook stove. They seemed on better terms than they had been before, but then they returned to inside of the cookhouse so they were no longer in Daryl's sight. When Daryl slipped past the barrier to the cookhouse, he was greeted with sounds of appreciation as he hauled the meat inside. He deposited the meat beside the stove where Hershel proceeded to cook it up and headed over to a basin of water to wash up. Other than a couple grunts, he barely acknowledged their praise.

"That was pretty impressive," Jacqui said to him, "You're timing is pretty good. We were just about to open a can of mystery meat."

Daryl grunted and nodded his head as he washed, glancing to Carol, Jacqui, Amy, and Sophia.

"There's clean clothes in the RV for you," Carol supplied, "They're mostly dry."

"We did some laundry," Amy replied, "We were all getting pretty rank. It was getting disgusting."

"Thanks," he muttered, drying off his hands and slipping inside the RV to change, thankful that save for a two-week-old baby, the RV was empty. Good. He wanted some time alone after his chat with Dale and he couldn't exactly go running off in the woods again without reason. He smiled at the makeshift crib Carol had put together out of a laundry basket and blankets. It was a bit better that the mail carrier that housed Little Asskicker until she outgrew it. As he threw his dirty shirt into a pile of filthy clothes, he looked down at his niece. She was awake and staring up at him, apparently caught in between that moment between waking and crying for attention.

"Hey there, Lil' Whoops," Daryl greeted, picking up the baby and cradling to his chest. She didn't need a change and from the slight movements of her mouth, he figured it was time for a bottle. He set to work preparing it while keeping the baby snuggled against him. They had been trying to satisfy her needs before she felt a need to start crying about them. She also liked to be held and was usually only put down when she was sleeping.

Daryl rocked the baby gently while he waited for the water to heat on the RV stove, "Ya know, ya aunty says ya gettin' spoiled with us holdin' ya all the time."

She cooed up at him, her big blue eyes holding his. Even though she kept him and Carol up all night, he was still enthralled by the baby girl. Every time he held her, he was so thankful that he had been given this chance to save her life.

"Wanna know a secret?" he whispered, raising his eyes to check the water, "Uncle has a big job to do. He's gotta keep ya safe. Aunty Carol and Sophia too. See, he came from the future to save ya'll. Ya can't tell no one, though, Lil. Gonna be our little secret, Kid."

Lily cooed again, making him smile. He readied her bottle and watched as she sucked hungrily at the bottle. Yeah, he was totally enamoured with his niece. After she finished, he burped her and then sat back on the bed, letting her rest on his chest. He intended to hold her until she fell asleep, but he ended up falling asleep first. It had been a long day.

0

He woke briefly when he felt someone take the baby from his chest, his eyes shooting opened.

"Shhh," Carol whispered, "I'm just going to change her. Are you hungry? I'll switch you the baby for food."

"'Kay," he yawned, sitting up slightly now that the baby was off of his chest. Carol then passed him his plate. He still felt bone tired and there was a bit of a headache upon waking. He ate, listening to the sounds of Carol changing the baby.

"Do I have to go to bed?" Sophia could be heard whining, "Carl doesn't have to."

"I thought you and Carl were still fighting," Carol observed, a smile in her voice.

"We are…sort of," Sophia replied unsurely, "He said 'sorry' to me about what he said when Daryl got hurt, but I don't know…"

"What don't you know?" Carol asked.

"Well you and Daryl said I wasn't supposed to go off with Carl," Sophia replied.

"That doesn't mean that you can't be friends with him," Carol said gently, "We just want to know where you are and we want you to stay away from Shane."

"Oh," Sophia said, surprised, "Well, I dunno if I wanna be friends with him though, after what he said."

Carol chuckled, "Holding grudges are we?"

"It's not nice to call people names," Sophia replied quietly, "Dad called you names."

There was silence for a moment as Carol considered her daughter's statement. Then she sighed, "Sophia…that was different. Carl only said those things because he was scared at the time. I don't think he meant it to hurt you. Your father…he said the things he did because he wanted to hurt me."

"He always hurt you," Sophia mumbled. There was another pause in the conversation as Carol considered what to say. Daryl finished eating and lay back down, closing his eyes as he listened.

"He can't anymore," she finally said, "He's gone and we've moved on. No one is going to hurt me or you."

"'Cause of Daryl?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, because of Daryl, but also because of me. I'm never going to put us in that position again," Carol assured her, "Now go brush your teeth, Honey."

Carol returned to the back of the RV to where Daryl had set his plate aside. He was leaning back, his eyes closed as he drifted somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. He felt her lips kiss his forehead, but then he drifted off once more.

0

Daryl woke up to Lily's frustrated chirps as she waited impatiently in her basket for Carol to bring her breakfast. He sat up and glanced around. Sophia had curled up next to the wall opposite of him and Carol was standing just outside their section of the RV, screwing a nipple onto a bottle. She smiled at him, the rising sun casting her in a gold hue as it filled the RV.

"Morning," she whispered, finally succeeding in securing the nipple to the bottle.

"Mornin'," Daryl greeted, frowning, "Did I sleep all night?"

Carol chuckled as she retrieved the baby from the basket, "Like a rock. You must have needed it. I felt a little bad for Lori and Carl having to put up with your snoring, though."

"Jesus," he grumbled, "I had watch-"

"Relax," she chided him, "I took your watch last night so don't worry about it."

His eyebrows shot up as he got to his feet, "Ya took my watch?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, "I am capable of more than cooking, cleaning, and minding the baby," she retorted.

"Ain't fuckin' doubtin' that," Daryl assured her truthfully, "Just it was my job and all. Least I coulda done was get up with Lil."

"She wasn't that bad last night," Carol shrugged, swaying slightly as the baby sucked at the bottle, "Daryl, don't worry so much about it. I don't mind helping you out. We're partners in this."

He quirked a smile and got to his feet, coming up behind her to wrap his bare arms around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. Carol let out a content noise as he stood there embracing her and staring down at the baby in her arms. He tilted his head a little so he could place a light kiss to her neck.

"Love ya, Woman."

"Love you too, Daryl," she said back. They stood in silence, which was broken when Lori quickly clamoured out of the table-bed and made a break for the RV door, holding a hand to her mouth. Carol cringed, "Morning sickness. Poor thing. She had a rough go of it last night with the smells from the cooking meat."

Daryl snorted, "Glad to see Lil' Shane's givin' her hell."

"Daryl, don't be mean," Carol scolded quietly. He said nothing, just absently moving one hand from her waist to pry Lily's little hand from her bottle so it could grasp his finger. It amused him that as she was getting fed, she always seemed to bring one hand up to try to grasp the bottle, almost like she was trying to hold it there.

"Lil' Whoops don't think I'm mean," he said as Lily continued to hold his finger. Carol laughed softly.

"She will, Uncle Daryl, once she's older and knows what Lil' Whoops means," she teased him.

"That's okay," he shrugged, "Then she can just run to Aunty Carol and get spoiled."

"Yeah, I'm the one who spoils her," Carol scoffed, rolling her eyes. Then that soft smile that he loved returned to her face, "I'm glad we have her. It's nice having a baby again, even if we have to be careful. I always wanted a big family, but after Sophia was born…well, you know."

He did know, in part from what she had told him in the present and in part from what he knew of the future. He knew that after Sophia was born, Ed had been disappointed that she was a girl. Carol said that was when he went from a controlling bastard to a mean one, verbally harassing her. She had said she had thought it was stress from the new baby, even when he hit her that first time. She had gave him the benefit of the doubt, but it got worse, to the point where Ed's beatings had caused her three miscarriages and made any further pregnancies doubtful, though at that point the idea of bringing more children into that marriage filled her with fear and dread.

"Ya got a bigger family now," he observed, "Could still get bigger someday if ya wanted."

She said nothing, but when he tilted his head to look up at her, he saw a little sadness in her eyes. She had every reason to doubt the fact that there could be another child in their life after all she had been through. To be honest, Daryl had his doubts about it too, especially when he allowed himself to think of the baby they lost in the future. He pressed a kiss to her neck again, a comforting gesture. He would be fine with it if Sophia and Lily were all they had. They didn't need another one, but if it happened, he certainly wouldn't object to it, knowing what he knew. He was fine either way.

A loud snore from the front of the RV broke the moment and made them jump.

"Dale," she chuckled. Then she looked back at him in curiosity, "He came up to me last night. He wanted to know if he said anything to upset you when you guys talked. What was that about?"

Daryl froze, wondering what else Dale had said, but if she was questioning him about it, then it sounded like Dale hadn't told her of his suspicions. He hoped that the old man stayed quiet. Daryl shrugged, deciding to put on an act, "Nothin' really. Was just in a mood yesterday."

"Okay. Last thing we need is more drama around here," she said. He chuckled in agreement.

"Damn straight," he agreed, "Gonna head outside for a minute. Gotta take a piss."

She made a face and nodded, rocking Lily a little more. He grabbed a shirt and then quietly let himself out of the RV. Everyone else had decided to bed down in front of the warm wood stove. Jimmy was up on top of the RV, taking his turn at watch. He moved quietly outside of the camp kitchen to find a tree to relieve himself on. It was a chilly morning, the ground wet with condensation. That was good. It would be harder for walkers to pick up on their scent. Upon a cursory glance of the area, he was pleased to find that there were no walkers in the vicinity. He found a tree by the creek and went about his business. He zipped himself up and started over to the creek to wash up. He paused when he heard voices.

"Feel better?" Shane asked, concern in his voice.

"I am. It's normal. Morning sickness," Lori said, "You really didn't have to come out here with me, Shane."

"'Course I did," Shane replied, "Gotta keep an eye on you. Could be walkers out here."

"I have my gun," Lori told him, "and Rick and Daryl both said that this place was clear."

"Forgive me for saying this, but Rick and Daryl aren't always right," Shane groused. Daryl heard Lori sigh.

"Shane, I thought you said that you understood why they took your gun away."

"I do understand it. I was rash. It won't happen again, though. From here on out, I'm going to use my head, think things through," Shane assured her, "That's why I'm out here. They may think it's safe, but you never know for sure. I'm using my head."

"I'm glad to hear that," Lori said sincerely, "and I'm really glad that you are making an effort. For a while there, I thought that we'd lost you somewhere."

"Nah, I was just a bit overwhelmed," Shane supplied, "Scared to think something could happen to you or the baby."

"Shane, I told you-"

"I know," he cut across her, "I know what you said, but then you also said that you wanted to work it out when we were talking at the windmill. I wanna do that, Lori. I wanna fix things between us: you, me, and Rick. Hell, after we left the farm…it was so damn obvious that I was alone…on the outs. No one was in my corner and it woke me up. The more I try to get between you and Rick, the more I push you both away. I don't want that," he explained. Lori was silent for a moment.

"I'm really glad to hear you say that, Shane," she told him, sounding a bit hesitant, "but I need to know…can you really accept that I am with my husband? That this baby is going to be his?"

Now Shane was silent for a moment. When he did speak, he spoke with such sincerity that even Daryl was almost fooled. He said, "Lori, at the windmill, you thanked me then for always being there for you and I want you to know that I always will be there for you. So long as you and the baby are happy and safe, I can accept you being with Rick. I can step aside, but all I ask is that you don't shut me out and that you come to me if you even need help. Don't hesitate to."

"Thank you, Shane," Lori's voice quivered slightly, and the sound of two people hugging filled Daryl's ears, "Walk a girl back to camp?"

"My pleasure," Shane replied. Daryl silently stalked through the trees so that they would not run across him. He didn't need Shane to know that Daryl had overheard yet another of Shane's conversations with Lori. He heard them walk away and proceeded to wash up, running over the conversation again in his head.

True, it sounded like Shane was really turning over a new leaf, but just how much of it was genuine? Daryl just couldn't accept the fact that Shane was willing to let go of Lori. If someone had asked him to give up on Carol, there was no way that Daryl could ever do that, not that the situations were even remotely the same. In addition, Shane was stepping back and allowing another man to raise his unborn child. Daryl was no idiot and unfortunately, it was glaringly obvious in the future that Judith Grimes did not share one of Rick's features. Rick chose to ignore it, choosing to love the child because she was a part of Lori. Now things would be different. Suppose Lori still dies giving birth, what would happen when Rick and Shane started fighting over rights to father Lil' Asskicker? That was a war waiting to happen and there was no way Shane would give up the fight for Lori's baby. Hell, in that situation, Shane was likely to go off a deep end and end up killing Rick just for letting Lori die, not that it was ever Rick's fault. That was when Daryl remembered Shane's words in regards to Lori and Rick:

'So long as you and the baby are happy and safe, I can accept you being with Rick.'

Daryl frowned as he stared into the running water of the creek. What would happen when Shane decided that Lori and the baby were no longer safe with Rick? What would happen when Rick and Lori fought, which they would eventually, and Shane decided that she was no longer happy? Daryl had found the loophole to Shane's promise to leave Rick and Lori be.

Daryl didn't care if he was paranoid. Shane Walsh was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

**TBC**

**Well Daryl has his hands full with his family, Dale, and Shane. This chapter was a lot of character development. I thought that Dale was the most logical choice for someone to suspect something was not quite right with Daryl, but of course, Daryl would try to go it alone. Shane is at least trying to go back to who he was, but is it really that easy? Doubtful.**

**Next chapter: Daryl gives the group a reprieve from the stresses in their lives by leading them to a possible safe haven. **

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	30. Crowded Out

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. We're going to be doing another time skip here. This chapter is mainly filler with doses of fluff. Enjoy. **

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 29: Crowded Out**

_Don't need directions, don't need a map  
If we get lost I'll be good with that  
Yeah we'll find a way to make the time pass  
Window rolled down with the heat on high  
Stars all aligned in a runaway sky  
Holding my hand as the miles roll by  
Long gone, baby_

Let's get out of this town tonight  
Nothing but dust in the shadows  
Gone by morning light  
Somewhere we won't ever get caught, ever be found  
Baby, let's just get out of this town  
**…Carrie Underwood – Get Out of This Town**

* * *

**_Merle Dixon sat cross-legged on the ground, examining the fingers of his restored hand. He did that a lot in Daryl's treks to the dream world. Daryl supposed that it was a natural reaction to suddenly be fascinated if you magically got your hand back one day after it had been cut off._**

**_"Still not talkin' to me, huh, Brother?" Daryl asked. Merle pretended to ignore him. Upon realizing that Daryl was not going to put an arrow in Shane's head, the elder Dixon brother had taken to shunning Daryl whenever they were in the dream world together. Daryl sighed and looked to the other occupant in the dream world, "Any idea how long this is gonna last?"_**

**_"You once told me that Merle could hold a grudge until Hell freezes over," Carol replied, "As far as I know, it's still quite warm down there."_**

**_Daryl smirked and abandoned his brother for the better part of the dream. He pulled her into his arms, smiling down at her, "So are we allowed to head home yet?" he asked. He had his first post-farm dream on the second night they were in the campground. He had dreamed of her and she had told him that the prison would not be safe if they were to go there now._**

**_"Not yet," she sighed, caressing his face and ignoring the disgusted noise Merle made from his spot on the ground, "but I can say that something good is coming your way," Carol added coyly._**

**_"God I hope so. five weeks is a long ass time," Daryl replied, moving to kiss her. Merle snorted, but said nothing. Carol laughed._**

**_"Hard up, Honey?" she asked, grinning. He groaned. Life was so much easier when he didn't have a sex life. The group had been on the road for about five weeks now. Travelling in a group of eighteen people had them all making concessions. He had thought that it was bad before, but this was ridiculous. Privacy had all but died after the first week. Solitude died the moment they left the farm. As a result, anyone who had been enjoying regular sex while on the farm was not anymore. Daryl and Carol, having two kids to care for, took the biggest hit. Even Rick was getting some, but then the sheriff had no qualms about leaving Carl in the care of the others so he and Lori could have a few minutes. In other words, Daryl and Carol had not had sex since the night of Dale's would-be death._**

**_"Just a little longer. Sorry, Pookie," Carol said, kissing him one last time before fading away._**

Daryl opened his eyes and found himself spooned up against Carol in the bed in the back of the RV. The previous night had been one of those nights where the men spent outdoors and worse, one of those nights when the Georgia sky decided to cry her eyes out. None of the men got any sleep. That morning, Daryl had decided to load his bike up in the dodge that the Greenes were now driving and take a turn in the RV. It kept him dry and it allowed him some rest. It hadn't taken much to convince Carol to come lay with him. Without him in the RV, it fell on Carol to care for the baby when she woke up in the middle of the night. The other women were happy to help, but ultimately, it was her that woke up every time. He seriously did not know what he would do without that woman.

"Awake?" she whispered when she felt him shift behind her.

"It obvious?" he murmured back.

"That you're awake or that other thing?" she sighed, tilting her head to the side to smirk at him. He groaned, wishing that he could just strip them both down and relieve the ache that he knew that they both felt. She flipped over so that she was facing him. Her lips tangled with his as her hand came up to his neck. Her body meshed against his, their legs tangling together. His hands slipped under her shirt.

Suddenly the plastic divider that separated them from the rest of the RV slid open, making them jump apart as if they had both been doused in cold water.

"Oh! Shit! Sorry!" Amy cursed, clenching her eyes shut, "Just looking for diapers!"

"The last box is in the bathroom under the sink," Carol supplied as Daryl sat up and grabbed for a pillow to put over his crotch.

"Got it. Sorry," Amy apologized as she set to work finding the diaper.

"Knocking works too!" Daryl called to her, frowning and willing the heat to leave his face. Carol let out a sigh and leaned against his shoulder.

"We're going to need to be on the lookout for baby supplies or we're going to have to start ripping up shirts for diapers," she said.

"Don't matter," he grumbled, "What we really need is five minutes alone."

Carol let out a soft laugh in agreement, "I'd settle for two."

He grunted and leaned over to kiss the side of her head. His little problem had gone down and now he stood, "Gonna go see where the hell we are."

He walked to the front of the RV. Miguel, Amy, and Sophia were taking a break from playing cards so they could give Lily a diaper change. The baby was resting in Sophia's arms and looking a little displeased with the full diaper while she waited. Daryl made his way up to the front, quite happy to let Amy and Miguel take care of the diapers, and sat in the passenger seat beside Dale.

"We stopped about an hour ago," Dale supplied, "Rick said we're stopping at the next farmhouse until some of this rain lets up."

"Fantastic. Ya didn't wake me?" Daryl asked.

"It was a quick bathroom break. We didn't have the heart to wake you two. We're supportive that way. Look out for each other," Dale hinted. Dale hadn't brought up his suspicions again, mostly because Daryl avoided being alone with him, but every so often the old man would hint towards convincing Daryl to disclose his secret. The good thing was that Dale seemed to respect Daryl's privacy and had not disclosed anything with the rest of the group.

"Hope we stop soon. Be good to collect some of this rainwater," Daryl grunted, getting up to move back to lay with Carol in the back. After her diaper change, Lily was deposited into the car-seat that they had scavenged and was moved to the back with them. Only the baby was able to drift back to sleep. About an hour later, the RV pulled into an abandoned farmstead.

Daryl, Rick, Glenn, Maggie, and T-Dog were charged with clearing it out. Daryl quickly took out the two walkers in the foyer while Rick got one upstairs. After the bodies were moved, the group made a mad dash inside. It was much smaller than Hershel's farmhouse. Daryl knew right away that staying here for longer than a night was out of the question. He could see a couple walkers milling about in the distance. As per usual, the group rummaged for anything edible or useful. They found several cans in the pantry and more clothes and blankets. Candles were also stashed away and any knives or guns went to Rick to be handed out. Since leaving the farm, everyone was armed with something, even Sophia and Carl. Like her mother, Sophia favoured a knife that she kept strapped to her hip. Carol had refused Sophia a gun until the girl had shown them that she was a better shot. Carl, on the other hand, had both his knife and gun.

The group assembled in the living room of the house with their spoils.

"We'll set up here for the night," Rick announced, glancing down at the supplies, "Upstairs would probably be best. There's two rooms up there. We'll split nine and nine. Do we have some buckets out to collect water?"

"Left 'em there as we came in," Daryl replied, knowing this drill better than Rick did.

"Good. We'll at least have something to drink in the morning," Rick decided, taking out a map and spreading it out on the floor, "Now we need to figure where we're headed."

Daryl's eyes automatically drifted to Nunez, the town in which the prison was near. He wished that they could just go there and settle, but according to his dream companions, he needed to wait. Then his eyes moved up the map to Gainesville where the group had spent two months holed up in a bunch of storage units outside of town in the other timeline. It was an uncomfortable living and by the end, the things had gotten pretty rank, but it was a shelter and there would be a host of supplies there.

"Gainesville," Daryl suggested, "Could get there by tomorrow night. Could be some supplies out there. It was a bit of a bigger town."

"That sounds like a plan," Rick agreed, "Anyone else?"

They were all in agreement that Gainesville was probably the most useful course of action; no one else had heard of any other safe haven. With that, they divided into the rooms, leaving T-Dog with the first watch position. Daryl, Carol, Jacqui, Dale, Amy, Miguel, Sophia, and Lily took one bedroom while Shane, the Grimes, and the Greenes took the other. At this point, Glenn and Jimmy had both been sort of adopted into the Greene family while Amy and Miguel had been adopted by Dale. Carol had brought Lily's basket in and was setting that up for her.

"Ya want watch or the baby?" Daryl asked, unrolling the sleeping bags. They had a routine for this sort of thing now. They'd set up and then they would decide who got what job. Daryl didn't mind giving her a break from diapers and bottles, especially since now that they were on the road, he got out of it more often than not.

"I'll do watch," Carol replied, "She was a bit fussy last night."

"Probably just missed Uncle Daryl," Daryl shrugged, glancing over to Sophia, who was holding Lily and watching as Amy dragged her sleeping bag over to Miguel's.

"You know, you two are adorable," Jacqui observed, now laying out T-Dog's bedding for when he came up from watch. Carol laughed at the uncomfortable look on Daryl's face at the compliment.

"You're going to have to learn to live with the love," Carol teased him, unknowingly giving him the same advice as she had in the future when the newcomers joined the prison. He rolled his eyes, causing the two women to laugh. That was another thing that had changed. At the prison when Daryl and Carol finally announced that they were together, everyone simply smiled, nodded knowingly, and went about their business. Now, though, he was teased about it and nearly everyone had something to say on the subject of his relationship with Carol. His theory was that everyone had too much damn time on their hands.

"You know, it's nice to see him so hands on," Jacqui said to Carol, "When my boys were little, you would've thought that changing diapers was a form of torture for my ex."

"Ed spent most nights at a friend's when Sophia was little," Carol replied, "It was better for all three of us."

"Jerry did that for a while when the boys were in their terrible two stage. Of course his friend was a real good 'friend'," Jacqui said, making air quotes. Even Daryl understood that Jacqui's ex was shacking up with his friend. Over the last little while, he had learned far more about Jacqui than he had ever thought possible. She had married her high-school sweetheart and then had had twin sons, Kevin and Lucas. Jerry, her ex, had an affair, prompting her to get rid of him. She raised her boys by herself as one of those strong, independent types. At the time of the outbreak, the boys were in New York. Kevin was going through med school and Lucas was working for an ad agency. She often wondered about her sons, but there was no way for her to ever know for sure if they were alive or dead. The last time she talked to them on the phone, there was so much screaming in the background before the line went dead.

"Terrible two stage?" Daryl asked. Amy snickered at him from her spot as she cuddled next to Miguel, whose face coloured a little at the contact.

"Oh man, that's going to be priceless to watch!" the blond teased, "Screaming toddlers are bad, but can you imagine a Dixon toddler temper tantrum?"

"Dixons do shit right," Daryl grumbled, "Now what's with the cuddlin' over there, Smiley? Ya and Tonto have somethin' to tell us?" he asked, deciding to turn the tables on the younger pair. Miguel was blushing and shifted uneasily while Amy shrugged her shoulders.

"My arm kills when it gets cold," she said, holding her stump up for them to see, "Body heat keeps it warm."

"Body heat," Jacqui chuckled at the younger woman, "Of course."

"Wonder what else ya'll are warmin'," Daryl shot at the pair. Miguel now went crimson, the green of his marijuana leaf tattoo on his neck now standing out against a red background. Amy flipped Daryl the bird.

"Daryl, leave them alone," Carol laughed.

"Yeah, leave us alone, you big lug," Amy tacked on, "Not our fault you aren't getting any."

"That's debateable," Daryl muttered, remembering what happened in the RV. Carol slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Getting any what?" Sophia piped up, looking between Amy and Daryl, causing Amy to snicker and Daryl to turn his own shade of red.

"Nothing, Soph," Carol assured her, "Come on. Let's get a little sleep."

0

As per the agreement, Carol took the shift on watch leaving Daryl with a fussy baby. Lily was changed and fed, but she would not settle. No matter how many times he walked around the room with her, she would not pipe down. Her frustrated little squawks and cries finally had him walking out into the hallway so that he would quit annoying the others in his room, though to be fair, Dale's snores were doing a real good job of that anyways. He had barely been there for a minute before Carol was up on the landing with him, panic in her eyes.

"It's a herd. A big one," she whispered.

"Shit," Daryl cursed, following her over to the window. Sure enough, there was a herd of maybe seventy walkers heading there's way. By his estimate, they were about two miles away. He looked to Carol, "Wake Rick and company. I've got our room covered."

He quickly roused his companions and strapped Lily into the car-seat to more easily transport the baby. Sophia helped him toss their blankets into Lily's laundry basket. Everyone went into survival mode, grabbing their belongings and scampering to the cars. Daryl had his bow out, covering the mad dash to the RV as Lily's shrill cries spurred the walkers to start moving faster towards them. Rick, Shane, Glenn, Jimmy, Maggie, T-Dog, Jacqui, and Miguel used their knives and other weapons to fight their way to their vehicles and clear the way for the others.

Then the caravan was on the road again, driving through the night with each member thankful to be alive.

"It's a good thing you saw that herd, Mom," Sophia said as she huddled between Daryl and Carol at the table.

"Did a real good job, Woman," Daryl agreed, holding her hand as they sat in the dim light of the RV.

"We need a permanent place," Amy said from across the table, "This is just getting ridiculous."

Daryl shifted. He knew of a permanent place…a home. The only problem was that he couldn't take them there right now. He sighed, "We're bound to find something," he offered lamely.

"When?" Amy demanded, "Before or after one of us gets torn apart by some herd?"

"We won't let that happen, Amy," Dale assured her from his standard position at the wheel. Doubt clouded the young woman's face. Amy had a look that she got whenever she thought about that night on the farm when they had lost Andrea.

"I won't let that happen, _Sirenita_," Miguel promised her, reaching over to tuck a strand of blond hair behind her ear, though he hardly looked like her knight in shining armour. The skinny, tattooed boy hardly looked old enough to be making those bold promises.

"Ya best keep ya word there, Tonto," Daryl advised seriously, "We'll find a place. It'll happen."

0

They drove through the night and then into the day. They stopped a couple times for bathroom breaks, food consumption, and some good old-fashioned gasoline siphoning. At this point in his life, Daryl was an expert at the process and he wasn't sure it was a good thing to be bragging about how well he could suck out of a hose. On the bright side, the rain had let up just before dawn so now they were travelling in a grey sky and Glenn had stopped the caravan just outside of Gainesville, pointing exuberantly to a sign advertising storage units.

"Might as well check it out," Rick agreed during the side-of-the-road pow-wow with T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn, and Shane.

"Could be a ton of supplies," T-Dog said, "You never know what people can store."

"Could be gated too," Daryl supplied, which he knew it was.

"Well, you guys seem to have all the answers," Shane shrugged, "Let's go."

Once again Shane rolled over to their ideas and it was really starting to piss Daryl off. He really wanted the bastard to just have it out and quit with the nice-guy routine.

They got back in their vehicles and turned down the gravel path towards the storage facility. Daryl sat with Carol and the baby at the table as Sophia, Miguel, and Amy were stood up by Dale, watching the scenery in anticipation. A sharp bump caused Miguel to hit his forehead on a cupboard. Daryl was thankful that he was in the RV. That bump in the gravel road had caused him to nearly take a spill on his bike in the other timeline. He grinned as the gated storage facility came into view.

They watched as Rick exited his suburban and used an axe to break the chain. The sheriff pulled the gate opened and waited as the caravan spilled inside. Rick took care of the zombified attendant and then shut the gate, fixing the chain as best as he could. Daryl instructed Dale to drive down the rows to ensure that there were no walkers inside, which there wasn't. Then they pulled over and ventured out to survey their surroundings.

"Let's clear out these three large storage units first. We can stay inside them," Rick called to the others, "Push anything we don't need outside."

Large pieces of furniture that had once held value were pushed out into the Georgia elements. Things like TV's, coffee tables, desks, and dressers were useless in this new world, at least at this point in time. Boxes and storage bins were pulled outside so that they could be ransacked for something useful.

At the end of all their efforts, the three large storage units had been cleaned out. From just these three units alone, the group had managed to procure three queen-size mattresses, two single mattresses, two sofas, and a reclining armchair. All of these were more than acceptable surfaces on which to sleep. They also found extra sheets, blankets, and clothes. Though they hadn't found any of the portable fireplaces yet, Daryl knew that they were hidden in one of the other storage units. There was a whole host of supplies waiting for them in the remaining units. Food would be scarce, but they would manage. Once they were established, Daryl could venture out and hunt something up.

The storage units were to be divided amongst the families for now. Then they could clear more space. Rick, Lori, and Carl decided to share their unit with Shane, Jacqui, and T-Dog. The Greenes, Glenn, and Jimmy took the center unit. That left the one on the left for the Dixons. Dale, Amy, and Miguel decided to camp out in the RV.

"Are you sure this is going to be warm enough for the baby?" Carol wondered as she watched Daryl and Sophia haul their belongings into the storage unit.

"Sure it will," Daryl said, shrugging his shoulders, "I'll make sure of it," he promised. Carol didn't look convinced as she held Lily and stared into the storage unit apprehensively.

"Mom doesn't like tight places, Daryl," Sophia supplied as she walked past him. Daryl had forgotten Carol's claustrophobia. Hell, even in the other timeline when they staying in the storage units, she had been quiet about her fear, but during that time, she did volunteer more often than not for watch duty. A couple days stuck in a solitary confinement cell had forced her to overcome her fear of small, dark places.

"Forgot about that," he admitted truthfully.

"I'll be fine," Carol said, though she didn't sound all that convincing, "It's not too bad with the door opened, but I'm assuming we'll have to shut it at night, right?"

"It'd be warmer that way," Daryl replied, "Could talk to Rick. Work somethin' out with watch."

"That could work," Carol said, mulling it over, "Really, I'll be fine, though. Have to get over it at some point."

"Alright," Daryl shrugged, "Soph can have the sofa. You, me, and the baby will take the mattress. It won't be so bad. It's bigger than that back section of the RV that we all share."

"If you say so," Carol muttered, stepping into their storage unit and fighting with the base urge to step back out. Daryl came up behind her and guided her towards the mattress. They sat down and Carol took a look around. It was much bigger than their living quarters in the RV and when the door was open, she was fine. She just didn't want to think about what would happen when the door was shut and they were forced into darkness. She looked over to Daryl, who was waiting for her to speak, "Is there any way we can have lights in here?"

"'Course," Daryl replied, "I can getcha a flashlight. Maybe find a couple lanterns."

"And do we need to close the door all the way?" she wondered, biting her lip.

"Maybe I can rig somethin' up to make sure it won't shut all the way," Daryl offered, "It's gonna be fine, Carol. In fact, how 'bout we let T and Jacqui look in on the kids and you and I can go ransackin' storage units for that kinda crap?"

"Daryl Dixon, are you asking me out on a date?" Carol teased. Daryl shrugged. He knew that in at least one of these storage units, they would find a suitable surface on which to have sex. Glenn and Maggie sure did the in the other timeline.

"Five weeks is a long ass time," he told her, echoing his sentiments from the dream. She laughed and leaned over, kissing him and letting him distract her from the fact that they were going to be living in an enclosed space. It was still better than living on top of each other like they had been for the last few weeks.

**TBC**

**Still not sure how I feel about this one. Anyways, I have to say I adored the season opener. I love the caryl of course (was kind of hoping for a scene at the end between them), but I'm still very interested in this new disease they've got going on. Hopefully Daryl wasn't the reason Patrick got infected with the finger licking and the handshake. I don't think he was because of the thing with the pigs, but you never know with TWD.**

**Next chapter: The group settles into the storage units, but new threats are on the horizon.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	31. All the Good Stuff Goes

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Here's another time skip. Daryl has certainly been making the most of his time.**

**Warning: sexual situations ahead. **

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 30: All the Good Stuff Goes**

_Fading light may make a fool of me  
Courage fails, strengths slip away from me  
Lie still beside me  
And hold me now, and hold me forever_

Lay down your load  
Cause every day it's gonna grow  
These days are sacred  
Hey now, don't be scared  
Baby, don't be scared at all

Of all the things that you don't know  
You've got time to realize you're shielded by the hands of love  
Cause you are young  
You've got time, you've got to try  
To bring some good into this world  
Cause you are young  
Cause you are young  
**…Keane – You Are Young**

* * *

Three weeks at the storage units marked the end of their second month on the road. This time around, they had Dale, who marked the days away on a calendar he kept tacked to one of the walls in the RV. According to this calendar, it was the beginning of December. The group had settled into the storage units, clearing a smaller unit out for Jacqui and T-Dog. Though it was colder, they managed to keep warm through a combination of body heat, lamps, and portable fireplaces. Daryl would venture into the woods to find meat to supplement their meals while teams would venture to the creek flowing down in the woods to collect water. For this last little while, they had been busy surviving. Their spare time was spent searching the storage units for more supplies…or at least that was the excuse Daryl and Carol adopted, even if it wasn't the most believable excuse at five in the morning.

"Missed you," Daryl growled, pulling her into one of the empty storage units. She let out a quiet laugh.

"That's obvious. You were up two hours earlier than you needed to be waiting for me outside of our box," Carol teased him, but was soon silenced by his lips tangling with hers. He pressed her firmly against the concrete wall, his hands unzipping the winter coat that she wore as hers pushed his leather jacket back over his shoulders. He shivered a little as the frigid air drafted through his cotton shirt and he knew that Carol could feel the goose-bumps spring up where her lips kissed and nipped at the exposed flesh on his neck. He groaned as her hands rubbed his chest through the fabric of his shirt and slipped down to undo his belt. His hands moved under her shirt, ghosting over the flesh of her stomach before finding the swell of her breast. She squirmed underneath him.

"Jesus!" she squealed, "Your hands are freezing!"

"Sorry," he grumbled, removing his hands from her shirt to rub them together to warm them. Carol laughed at the gesture and did the same, blowing into her own cold hands.

"I'm not getting completely naked," she stipulated, giggling slightly, "It's too damn cold."

He grinned at her, pleased that his language was rubbing off on her and that she was on board. Since arriving at the storage units, he was doing everything in his power to ensure that he did not go another five weeks without sex and she had yet to complain whenever he pulled her away to have his way with her.

"You're telling me," he grunted. He reached for the button on her pants and then pushed her jeans, the tights she wore underneath, and her panties down to the floor. He chuckled, "Got enough damn layers on?"

"Says the man who normally wears two shirts, a vest, and a leather jacket," she replied sarcastically, starting on his pants. She pulled his erection free and stroked her hand along the length of it. He let out a primal sound and pinned her against the wall. He reached down and hooked his strong arms under her knees to lift her up. He pressed his body against hers to hold her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pressed his lips to her neck, licking and sucking the exposed skin. He reached up to squeeze her breast through her shirt and run his thumb over her hardened nipple. She arched to his touch and wrapped his dark hair into her hands, dragging his face up to hers.

"Now," she growled before she kissed him hard. It was all he needed to thrust up into her, making her gasp in pleasure as she sank down on his length. They moved together, establishing that comfortable rhythm that worked so well for both of them. She clenched around him and it was all he could do to hold on for another couple of thrusts before he came, biting into the thick fabric of her coat.

"Christ," he gasped, moving away slightly so that she could slip down to her feet. She chuckled dryly and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I was only gone on watch for six hours," Carol reminded him, "If you actually slept, you wouldn't have missed me at all. And you can't even blame it on the baby."

He smirked and turned to retrieve his jacket from the floor while she pulled up her pants. He shrugged his shoulders and said quietly, "Can't sleep without ya."

Carol and Rick worked out a watch schedule where she could spend the majority of the night outside on watch. She really hated to be in 'the box', as she called it, when the door was shut. She tended to sleep a little bit during the day, but in Daryl's opinion, it wasn't near enough as she tried to be everywhere helping out.

"Well, let's go get a couple hours then," she suggested, holding her hand out. He took it and let her lead him back to 'the box', glaring at the wolf-whistle from the young vato on the roof of the RV keeping watch.

"Skinny little bastard better watch it," Daryl grumbled, "The second I find his ass in a storage unit with Amy, I'm puttin' an arrow in the object closest to his dick."

Carol snorted and brought a hand to her lips to stifle the giggles. Since Miguel followed her on watch duty, the young man knew every single time Daryl waited up for her and dragged her to the nearest available storage unit. Miguel never said anything around anyone else, and to her, it really didn't matter that he knew that she was having sex with her partner, but Daryl grumbled about Miguel's comments at every opportunity. Carol understood from the look of joy on the kid's face that he was just trying to tease his mentor, get under the gruff hunter's skin.

"Leave him alone," Carol chided, "Besides, from what Amy's been telling me, she and Miguel have yet to have need for a storage unit. Apparently he's being a gentleman about it, so you could be waiting a long time for the opportunity and life's too short, especially nowadays."

"That little bastard's a gentleman? Believe that when I see it," he muttered, ducking under the steel door and pushing back the tarp that was set up to trap heat in, which it did. With the tarp and their own portable heater, their storage unit was always nice and toasty. Sophia had kicked off her quilt and was now covered by just a thin fuzzy blanket. Lily was nestled in her basket, wrapped tightly in her blankets, but not so tightly that she was sweating or anything. She only awoke about once, maybe twice a night now, though Daryl still got up to check on her every now and then. Carol shook her head at his comment and moved to cover Sophia back up. Then she changed into sweats and an oversized t-shirt and settled onto their mattress. Daryl crawled in beside her, intent on getting some rest.

**_Daryl was in the dream world, though to be fair, his trips here were less and less frequent. He glanced to Merle, who was still steadfastly ignoring him, and then decided to focus on Carol._**

**_"You really should get your rest, Honey," she said, coming up to greet him. He shrugged his shoulders._**

**_"What's up, Beautiful?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist._**

**_"Complications," Carol sighed. Merle made a frustrated grunt from his spot on the floor._**

**_"What kind?" Daryl moaned, ignoring his brother, "Are we going to have to leave the storage units?"_**

**_"Not yet. You've still got another month," Carol replied, causing Daryl to sigh in relief. Then she continued, "but the thing is that you've arrived at the storage units much sooner than you would have in the original timeline."_**

**_"And that's a problem?" Daryl asked, earning him another frustrated snort from Merle._**

**_"A bit of one," Carol admitted, "You're going to have to make some tough choices, Honey."_**

**_He frowned and opened his mouth to question her, but Merle spoke up for the first time in ages._**

**_"Wouldn't count too much on that, Mouse," he snarled, "Baby Brother is takin' the pussy approach to this thing."_**

**_Daryl shuffled uneasily. He had already tried numerous times to explain why he had not ended Shane's life, but Merle wouldn't have any of it. Carol sighed and turned to their companion, "At least he's getting some pussy, Merle, while even in the afterlife you continue to strike out."_**

**_Merle's face turned red with anger. The larger Dixon brother seized the younger one by the leather vest and put his face to Daryl's._**

**_"Merle!" Carol scolded._**

**_"Maybe the boy oughta stop thinkin' with his dick," Merle spat, still not releasing Daryl._**

**_"Merle, let him go and shut your mouth," Carol ordered firmly, "If anything, you're the one around here who thinks with his dick. Lily is proof of that."_**

**_At this, Merle released his brother, pushing him to the ground, and rounded on Carol, "What'd you say 'bout my brat?"_**

**_"I said nothing about your daughter," Carol responded coldly, "I only meant that had you used the head on your shoulders more than the one in your pants, Daryl wouldn't have to go about raising your child and you wouldn't have to sit here sulking about how he goes about it."_**

**_Merle glared at her, "Fuck you."_**

**_Then he walked away and disappeared. Carol sighed and kissed Daryl one more time._**

**_"You're doing fine. I have complete faith in you, both here and in the real world," she assured him, "Oh, and before I forget, in the next couple weeks, make sure you ransack locker D12. You might find something interesting in there." _**

**_Then she was gone._**

Daryl awoke frowning. He hadn't had a dream quite like that in some time, especially with his brother sulking like he was. He glanced over to where Carol was sleeping soundly, huddled up into some kind of little nest of blankets. He heard a cooing sound and turned to see Sophia feeding a bottle to Lily.

"Mornin', Rabbit," Daryl greeted, swinging his legs over the mattress.

"Mornin' Daryl," Sophia said back, smiling down at Lily, "She was awake so I fed her."

"Thanks, Soph. Time's it?" he asked.

"'Bout seven thirty," she replied, "Jacqui and Lori are cooking breakfast outside."

"Alright," he nodded, "We'll let her finish up and then we'll head outside. Let ya momma sleep a little while longer."

They did just that. Lily was fed and wrapped up and then Daryl took them outside to where the community camp fire was situated. They were greeted by the others. True to Sophia's word, Jacqui and Lori were cooking breakfast with Dale's assistance when Lori's morning sickness took hold. By Hershel's estimates, she was entering the second trimester so the sickness should be tapering off soon. Amy was taking the first helping up to Miguel, who was still on watch. T-Dog was chatting with Carl as he worked on switching out the chain on a bicycle. If memory served, the boy would be suffering road rash on account of that bike. Beth got to her feet when she noticed that the baby was outside, smiling brightly and ignoring as Jimmy protested when she moved away from him.

"I can take her if you want, Daryl," she offered.

"Ain't gonna argue with ya," he replied, passing Lily over to her. Sophia was already walking over to Carl, who was now forgiven for his nasty remarks about Daryl and Shane's altercation on the farm. He grinned brightly at her as he showed off his find. Daryl nodded a greeting to Hershel, who was reading from his bible, and to Maggie and Glenn, who were cuddled up with their backs resting on the siding of the storage units. Daryl had already run into them twice while they were 'searching for supplies' in the storage units. He didn't think that he could get the image of Glenn's ass out of his brain. Daryl then glanced to where Rick and Shane were discussing something near the car. Curious, he approached. Shane was then apparently dismissed and walked by Daryl back to the fire. Daryl continued on his desired path to Rick.

"What's on the agenda today?" Daryl wondered, leaning against the side of the car. Rick sighed.

"We're going on a run," he said. Daryl frowned. He had no knowledge of that.

"We need something?" he asked, "Usually ya plan it a bit better. Give me notice."

"Well, uh…" Rick sighed again and looked distinctly uncomfortable, "It's just going to be me, Shane, and Glenn."

"You're taking Shane?" Daryl demanded, stunned by the turn of events, "Ya sure 'bout that?"

He knew that Rick and Shane had renewed their bromance or whatever the hell it was, but up until this point, Shane was barred from watch or runs, the short trips to the creek being an exception.

"I think it's time," Rick replied, "These past couple months have shown a better side to Shane. He's more like the man before all this poisoned him. It's time to give him a chance…let him earn his keep again."

"Ya givin' him his gun?" Daryl asked sourly, already sensing the shift. Shane had earned back Rick's trust somehow over the last couple of months. Rick shook his head.

"No, but I am taking it with me, just in case I need back-up," he said.

"Back-up?" Daryl scoffed, "You know that he'd shoot ya as soon as ya back's turned, right?"

Rick ran his hands through his hair and regarded Daryl with a serious look. He started what was sure to be a lecture, "Daryl, I know you have every reason to doubt Shane-"

"He shot me!" Daryl snapped, "He coulda killed me!"

"Daryl, he's my brother. I need to try to trust him and I need to know that you're backing me up on this," Rick pleaded.

"Why do you care?" Daryl growled, glaring, "What am I? The back-up for your back-up?"

"Daryl, that's not it at all," Rick groaned, "I need to work this out with Shane for the good of the group. You've had my back all along and now I need you to let me take the lead here. I need to know for sure if Shane is really back."

"Do what you need to do, Man," Daryl shrugged, "but don't come cryin' to me when things don't work out the way ya want 'em to."

With that, Daryl walked away from him, but instead of going back towards the fire, he went to the truck to gather up his crossbow without a word to anybody. He needed to go hunting, clear his mind. He didn't even look back when he heard Sophia call to him.

Daryl had to admit that the other timeline did have an advantage over this one. In the other timeline, Daryl never really had to wonder if he was Rick's second choice. There was no competition for the spot of right-hand man, not like there was now with Shane in the picture. Daryl couldn't say that he cared for it. It almost made him feel like the henchman that Carol had once accused him of in the other timeline, only called upon when Rick needed him.

He headed into the woods, looking for something, anything to occupy his time. For all his efforts, he came up with a couple squirrels which would hardly feed their much larger group. He stalked back, noticing with bitterness that Shane and Rick had left. Daryl shook his head and decided to relieve whoever was on watch. To his dismay, when he climbed the ladder, he found Dale sitting on top of the RV.

"I'll take watch," he said shortly.

"I'm fine here, Daryl," Dale assured him, "You seem a little on edge, though. Does something happen with Rick and Shane on the run?"

Daryl glared at the old man, "Why do you keep doing that?" he demanded, "I don't know nothin' 'bout anythin'!"

Dale stood up then, staring Daryl in the face, "I don't believe that. Why else would you be so upset about the situation?"

"Ain't upset!" Daryl snapped.

"Could've fooled me," Dale replied, "You're not a hard man to read, Son. You run out into the forest when you're stressed. You sulk and snap. If you just tell me-"

"It ain't happenin'!" Daryl refused, turning to descend the ladder. Jesus, he was having a bad day, though to be fair, Carol did warn him in the dream. He pondered then the problem that he she warned him about. Carol had looked a little bit concerned about it in the dream world. Whatever was coming was probable not going to be good for the group. He sighed. Another problem to deal with.

"Daryl."

Daryl turned to see Hershel holding Lily. Daryl's attention immediately peaked upon seeing his niece, "She alright?"

"Just fine," Hershel assured him, passing the baby over, "I thought you might like to see this."

Daryl frowned and looked down to the little girl. She gazed up at him and the corners of her lips pulled in a toothless smile for him, the first real sign that she knew who he was.

"She's smiling," Hershel told him, gazing at the proud uncle, "We noticed it earlier when Sophia came over to eat by Beth and Lily. I thought it might lift your spirits since you're having a bad day."

"Jesus, am I that easy to read?" Daryl complained, but his heart wasn't in it as Lily fixed her smile on him.

"We all have our tells, Son," Hershel told him, "Yours is to head for the woods."

"Was always the one place I could escape," Daryl admitted truthfully.

"I understand that," Hershel said gently, "but I think that maybe you might want to explain that to your girl. Sophia was a bit upset when you took off."

Daryl paused. With everything else that was bouncing in his head, he had forgotten that he had responsibilities here. He remembered that Sophia had called to him when he had made his dash for the woods and that he didn't stop. He supposed that had scared her or hurt her or, at the very least, left her confused. He sighed.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"The storage unit with the pool table," the old man supplied, "but you didn't hear it from me. I'll take the little one for you if you need."

"Thanks, Hershel," Daryl said, passing Lily back to the old farmer. Then he walked down the rows until he found an opened door. The kids were given strict instructions by Carol not to close the doors. It was good advice. No one wanted to be locked inside one of them and it had been the highlight of his month to have to come to Glenn and Maggie's rescue when they were caught in that predicament. He found Sophia sitting on the pool table, rolling the balls towards the holes and then stopping them when they hit the bumper and rolled back to her. He sighed and leaned against it.

"This where ya go to be alone?" he asked. Sophia shrugged and nodded.

"The forest is where you go, right?" she asked, looking over at him with her large, innocent eyes.

"Yeah," Daryl answered, "Sometimes I just need to clear my head."

"Why the forest?" Sophia asked curiously. What surprised him most was the fact that she didn't seem hurt or upset by his abrupt departure. He figured he'd might as well be honest.

"When I was a kid, my dad used to hit me. Hell, ya seen the scars, Kid," he shrugged, "When it got bad, Merle'd send me into the woods behind our house. He had made a tree fort back there for me to run to. I was able to get away from all the yellin' and fightin'. Since then, it was always the first place I went when I felt stressed out. Hell, even after I got lost out there when I was a kid, I still liked it. Just got better at findin' my sense of direction," he explained to her. She turned her whole body towards him now.

"What were you stressed out about?" she questioned, "You seemed alright before you talked to Carl's dad and then you just left without breakfast."

"Just some crap with Shane," Daryl told her, "Ain't nothin' to be concerned about."

"It sorta is though," Sophia told him, "'Specially if it makes you leave us-"

"Hey," he interrupted, "Ain't leavin' nobody."

She looked at him with a lot more wisdom than someone her age should have. When she spoke, he suddenly felt like he was speaking with a mini version of Carol, "I get that you need to be alone sometimes, but you should talk about it too, Daryl. Mom and I don't really like it when you pull away."

"That so, Rabbit?" he asked.

Sophia shrugged her shoulders and continued, "My dad used to leave all the time. It was good because of all the bad stuff he did. I don't want you to leave because when you do, it's bad because you're so good and when you go, that good stuff sorta goes away too, if that makes sense," she admitted, now focusing down on the green felt beneath her hand. He frowned and considered her words. It warmed his heart to know that she didn't think he was like her father in any way. That would have broken his heart. Instead, she told him that she would rather have him around in her life. He reached out and tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him.

"I'm sorry, Kid. Didn't realize. Promise ya though, that I ain't goin' away and even if I did, it wouldn't be for very long. I'd always find ya and ya mom. Ya can count on that," Daryl promised. Sophia smiled and nodded, moving to hop off of the pool table.

"Okay," she said, stepping out of the cell, "Did Hershel show you what Lily can do now?" she asked. Daryl chuckled and fell into step beside her.

"He did. It's somethin' else. Ya mom's gonna go nuts seeing it," he predicted, though he knew from experience that it would be the case.

_When Daryl sprained his ankle and had been banned from running around, Carol had made an effort to entertain him, though he suspected that she was getting more entertainment out of it that he was. She had made a game of how many times she could get him to hold little Judith Grimes during his ban from hunting. Though he adored the kid, he just wasn't the type to sit and cuddle a baby all day. Carol was persistent (he called it hard-headed) and could find him no matter where he holed himself up just so she could continue on with her little game. And, Carol gleefully noted that he never refused her when she passed the baby off to him._

_He was sitting in his bed, absently digging the end of a rusty old spoon into a hole in the cement wall. He heard the baby's frustrated cries and once again, he lamented his sprained ankle. Carol appeared moments later with the baby swaddled in her arms. Carol smiled brightly at him._

_"Trying to dig your way out?" she asked, gesturing to the spoon. He rolled his eyes and tossed it across his cell._

_"Comin' to pawn the damn kid on me again?" he grumbled, but he held out his arms just the same._

_"What can I say?" Carol shrugged as she passed Judith to him, "Little Asskicker just wants her favourite nanny."_

_He scowled, but cradled the little one to his chest. He never quite knew what it was about him that made babies calm down, but all the same, Judith settled against him. Carol hovered, passing him a bottle, but before he could give it to the baby, she gurgled up at him and he was stunned to look down and see her smiling up at him._

_"She's smiling!" Carol exclaimed, "Look at her!"_

_Daryl, however, was more focused on the woman than the baby. You would have thought that the woman had just won the damn lottery with the way that her eyes lit up and her mouth stretched ear-to-ear. Then she started in on the baby talk, making him cringe as she spoke to his little asskicker in that ridiculous voice. He didn't say anything though. She just looked to damn happy that he didn't want to ruin that. In fact, if anything, he wanted her to keep doing it just so he could keep that smile on her face._

"Ya ma still asleep?" Daryl asked Sophia. She nodded.

"At least she's starting to sleep more," Sophia said, "She's been so tired since she started watch."

"That's because she wouldn't sleep enough in the damn daytime. Woman always figures she needs to be motherin' somebody 'round here," he muttered, making Sophia laugh.

"Mom always does that. There was one time…" the girl trailed off, looking towards the gate, "Rick's back, Daryl," she told him, "And there's another car with them."

Daryl then turned his gaze towards the gate, a feeling of dread settling into the pit of his stomach. A young man stepped out of the car, lean with thick dark hair. He had his arm wrapped up in a bloody shirt. Shane and Rick went to him, talking closely with him, before they beckoned Hershel closer.

That feeling of dread intensified tenfold when Sophia tightly gripped the leather on his sleeve.

**TBC**

**Cliffhanger! Hope you enjoyed the sweet moments in this chapter, even if I'm mean and end it here.**

**Next chapter: Tensions mount as the group debates what to do with some newcomers.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about this chapter and what you see in the future! Your reviews keep me going!**


	32. Matters of Conscience

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. And now we find out about the mysterious stranger.**

**Warning: mentions abuse**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 31: Matters of Conscience**

_Another fairytale fades to gray  
I've lived on hope  
Just like a child  
Walking that mile  
Faking that smile  
All the while  
Wishing my heart had wings_

Well from now on I'm going to be  
The kind of woman I'd want my daughter to be, oh

I'm gonna love myself more than anyone else  
Believe in me, even if someone can't see  
A stronger woman in me  
**…Jewel – Stronger Woman**

* * *

Daryl glanced down to the girl clinging to his arm. Apprehension clouded Sophia's face as her eyes stared up into his, silently pleading for him to do something. He crouched down so that he was at eye level with her.

"Soph, ya know him?" he asked. Sophia nodded, shifting a little so that she was shielded behind his body.

"He's my cousin," she whispered. Daryl's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He glanced behind him now, to where the dark-haired young man was talking to Shane. He was about eighteen or nineteen, barely older than Miguel. Four more young people joined him. There was a girl of about eighteen with long blond hair and brown eyes, a man around Glenn and Maggie's age with white blond hair and piercing green eyes, and then two young teenage girls around Sophia's age, one with dirty blond hair and one with curly brown.

"Your cousin?" Daryl asked. Sophia nodded.

"Two of 'em are," she said, "The dark-haired guy is Charlie. The curly-haired girl is Paris."

"Sophia?" the girl named Paris called out. Daryl looked back over to the crowd forming around the newcomers. This caught the attention of the dark-haired older boy, Charlie. He approached them now, looking as though he had seen a ghost. Sophia moved directly behind Daryl now, almost hiding from sight.

"Sophia?" now Charlie was saying her name as he approached. Rick reached out and stopped him before he could get to them.

"Charlie, how do you know Sophia?" he asked, confused. The young man grinned widely now, putting his hands up in the air expressively. Daryl again noticed the bloody shirt tied to his left arm.

"She's my uncle's girl! Does that mean he's here too? Ed? Ed Peletier?" Charlie asked, excited by the prospect, his brown eyes lighting up.

"Ed Peletier's dead. Fucker deserved what he got," Daryl shot out. He decided that anyone who looked excited about Ed Peletier was no damn good. He felt an overwhelming urge to keep Sophia away from him.

At Daryl's declaration, Charlie straightened and looked at Daryl, glaring at him and spitting out, "Who the hell are you?"

Daryl took a step forward, looming over the kid, "Name's Daryl Dixon and ya best mind ya attitude or I'll kick ya ass," he threatened. Charlie glared, but it was the other man in his group that spoke next.

"There a problem here?" he asked smoothly, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. He held out his hand and introduced himself, "Derrick Schmidt."

"Uh…could we talk for a minute?" Rick questioned, stepping in front of Daryl, "Uh, Charlie, you're related to Sophia?"

Daryl realized then that none of them, not Rick, Glenn, or Shane, had bothered to ask for this jack-off's full name when they picked him and his crew up.

Charlie glared at the cop and said, "I told you that I was! Name's Charlie Peletier. Her dad was my dad's brother. Where's my uncle? He really dead?" he asked Rick viciously. Rick let out a breath and glanced to Daryl, clearly unsure about how to proceed.

"Your uncle is dead," Rick admitted, "Died some time ago."

The blond man, Derrick, clapped his hand on Charlie's shoulder and whistled, "Shit, Man. I'm sorry. Thought you found some family."

Charlie glanced down to where Sophia was hiding behind Daryl. Then he returned his glare to Daryl's face.

"Why's my cousin clinging all over you, Redneck?" he spat. Daryl wanted nothing more than to knock this kid's teeth in, but he noticed the way Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn hovered and the way Derrick stood at the ready, poised to intervene and almost daring Daryl to give in to that urge. Then Daryl felt Sophia behind him, her hands curled into the leather of his jacket. He didn't want her to watch another fight. He puffed himself up.

"Since ya no-good uncle bit the bullet, I reckon I'm 'bout the closest thing to a decent father that this kid's got!"

Charlie lunged forward, hissing, "Uncle Ed gave her and her money-hungry mother everything!"

Derrick intervened to wrestle his friend back while Rick and Glenn pushed Daryl away.

"Daryl, take a walk!" Rick ordered firmly. Daryl stepped back, still scowling at the boy.

"C'mon Soph. Let's go check on ya momma," he ordered. The girl followed him willingly back to their storage unit. They ducked under the doorway and found Carol pulling on her jacket. She looked over at them, frowning.

"I heard shouting," she explained, "What's going on?"

"Rick, Shane, and Glenn brought back some strays," Daryl grunted tersely.

Carol raised her eyebrows and asked, "Strays like Miguel or strays like Randall?"

Daryl looked to Sophia, who knew more about the strangers than he did, "What'd'ya reckon, Rabbit?"

"Don't like 'em," she said, shuffling slightly, "Charlie and Paris are with 'em."

Carol frowned, looking confused as she looked to her daughter, "Charlie and Paris? Peletier?"

Sophia nodded and Daryl noted with alarm that the colour drained from Carol's face. She choked out her next question, "Their parents?"

Sophia shook her head, "Uncle George and Aunt Elise aren't there. Neither are Junior or Edward."

Carol let out a sigh of relief and sat down on the bed. Sophia went to her, sitting beside her. Daryl raised his eyebrows, feeling a little left out of this conversation, "Wanna fill me in on this shit?"

"Ed had an older brother named George. He lived in Alabama. He always seemed to catch the breaks…good job, nice house, beautiful wife, four kids...it used to drive Ed crazy with jealousy," Carol explained heavily, "Family functions were a nightmare. Ed and George would start drinking and punches would fly. Then George would fill Ed's head with all sorts of get-rich-quick schemes, which would result in him draining the bank account. Of course everything was my fault. Around his family, Ed was a saint…the victim for having a worthless wife who wasted his 'hard-earned money'."

"You're not worthless, Mom," Sophia whispered, holding Carol's hand.

"Not at all," Daryl agreed, coming to crouch down in front of his girls, "Damn lucky ya ain't part of that family no more."

Carol managed a weak smile and nodded, "Damn lucky indeed."

There was a knock on the metal door and Rick poked his head in, "Daryl, Carol, we're having a meeting about the new folks."

Daryl and Carol exchanged a look. Carol sighed, "We'll be there, Rick," then she looked to Sophia, "Honey, stay here, alright?"

Sophia nodded and moved to her couch. Daryl and Carol then followed Rick outside.

"Did Daryl fill you in?" Rick wondered as they walked.

"Yeah. He told me," Carol said softly.

The rest of the group was assembled around the fire. The five newcomers were seated together near the vehicles. Derrick, the blond, stood up, leaning on Shane's car. Hershel was stitching up a wound on Charlie's arm. Daryl noticed that Beth, Jimmy, and Carl were absent. He and Carol went to stand by Maggie, who explained that Beth and Jimmy had Lily in their storage unit. Rick started talking.

"By now I think all of you know that we have some newcomers," he said, "Shane, Glenn, and I found them on our run. They were trapped in a school bus surrounded by walkers. We were able to help them, get them out. One of their men was injured. He cut his arm on a piece of glass. There group is made up of three young adults and two fourteen-year-old girls: Derrick Schmidt, Erin and Casey Douglas, and Charlie and Paris Peletier. Their leader, Derrick, has asked if it would be possible for them to join us. I don't think it would be an issue under normal circumstances, but two of them, Charlie and Paris, are related to Carol and Sophia and-"

"Sophia's our blood," Charlie piped up in a growl, "We aren't related to anyone else here."

Everyone looked between the dark-haired youth and the short-haired woman. Carol just shrugged and looked to Daryl.

"Damn lucky we're not part of that family no more, right," she said. Daryl smiled at his woman, proud of her. Rick bit his lip and continued.

"Derrick has asked to speak to you all about his group."

At this, the blond young man stepped forward and smiled a charming smile, "It's nice to meet you all. Of course I understand why you wouldn't be inclined to take strangers in. You don't know anything about us, but I'd like to take this opportunity to fix that," Derrick said, "My name is Derrick Schmidt. I'm twenty-three. I went to business school in Atlanta and I was set to graduate this year before the dead wouldn't stay dead. The city fell quickly. It was all I could do to get out. I joined a small group of college kids heading out. They figured we'd be safer outside the city. We headed to the country-side. Figured places with the lowest populations wouldn't have got hit so bad. We were fine for a while, but then those zombies or walkers or whatever started leaving the cities. Our group got attacked in the dead of the night. Only a handful made it out, but one had been bit and never told us so we got hit again. At the end, it was just me and my roommate left. We made it to Gainesville where we met Erin, Charlie, and their siblings holed up in a nursing home."

"We were there looking in on my grandmother," Charlie said tonelessly, "My mother and my younger brother, Eddie, died on the way to Georgia from Alabama. My father, my brother, my sister, and I got to Gainesville where we stayed for about a month. Then my grandmother died in her sleep and came back. She bit my father first and then my brother got bit trying to help. I took Paris and ran to an empty wing. We found Erin and her sister, Casey, there."

"We stayed there for a while with them," Derrick continued, "Then the fence outside the nursing home fell. We had to leave. My roommate got taken down and Charlie got injured on a piece of glass. We ran for a school bus on the street. We were there for two days. Your men found us and saved us from the dead ones."

"They were in a rough spot," Shane said, "and I've gotten good with my knife," he hinted, looking at Daryl, who scowled.

"We're very grateful," Derrick said to the group, "We've barely made it this far. Between us, we have two knives and a handgun with no ammo. The three of us are by no means parents, but we have two little girls to take care of. They'll have more protection here with your group. We'll pull out weight. I may be a business major, but I did a lot of hunting with my pop. Erin is a hell of a cook. Charlie has experience with guns. We could help you. I know my friend Charlie here has history with some of your group, but I would hope that you could all look past that. We would just like a chance."

"That's askin' an awful lot," T-Dog said, "We're already at eighteen people and we barely have enough food as it is."

"We can help gather it," Derrick said quickly, "I said I can hunt."

"Position of hunter is filled," Daryl grumbled.

"You really turning your back on more meat, Daryl?" Shane scoffed.

"Just sayin' is all," Daryl replied, "We don't need 'em and I don't think acceptin' these people is a good idea. Little bastard was fixin' to come after me earlier."

"Charlie was upset to hear about his uncle," Derrick amended, almost pleading. Daryl scoffed.

"Anyone upset over Ed Peletier's death ain't winnin' no points with me," he snapped, "Ya'll remember what he did?"

The group shifted uneasily. Those who were there when Ed died remembered all too well what he did to earn six bullets to the brain. Those who had not been there, like the Greenes, had heard about it and had agreed that Ed had deserved death for attempting to rape his daughter.

"My uncle was a good man!" Charlie shouted, jumping up to his feet despite the fact that Hershel had not finished with his stitches.

"Your uncle beat me," Carol responded, "He wasn't the saint your father told you he was. He tried to hurt Sophia-"

"You liar!" Charlie cried. Daryl was poised to defend Carol, but she kept a hand on him to prevent him from lunging forward.

"He's not worth it," she whispered.

"Stop!" Rick shouted, trying to bring the group back to order, "This is getting us nowhere! We need to have a calm and rational discussion about this and I would appreciate it if we could leave Ed Peletier out of this."

"Why? This is his kin after all," Daryl interjected, "How do we know this kid ain't like his uncle?"

"Daryl, come on, Man," Shane said, shaking his head, "You really going to throw this group out because of who two of them are related to?"

Daryl rounded on Shane, "Ya sure didn't give a damn when we was debatin' the Randall situation. Ya executed that kid based on what he might do."

"That was different!" Shane argued, "You said yourself that Randall was going to attack us and rape the women! These people owe us and there are children's lives at stake here, Man!"

Daryl glanced to the two girls huddled close to the young woman, Erin. They were around Sophia's age and the thought of someone refusing to protect Sophia left a bad taste in his mouth. On the other hand, though, Sophia was his kid and who was to say that Charles Peletier wasn't a sick bastard like his uncle?

"And what about our kid, huh?" Daryl demanded, gesturing between himself and Carol, "My girls are my priority."

Rick let out a breath and turned to Carol, "Carol, you know the most about this kid. Is he a threat?"

Daryl did not miss the glare that Charlie shot at Carol. She sighed, "Ed and his brother were very similar. Both of them were controlling, possessive, downright mean when they wanted to be. They both threated women poorly and by my knowledge, George raised his sons to be the same way."

Charlie was vibrating with anger at Carol's accusations against his father and uncle.

"So Charlie is a threat?" Rick asked. Daryl noticed the way that Carol's eyes glanced over towards the curly-haired girl, Paris, Charlie's younger sister, and the other girl, Casey. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what came out of Carol's mouth.

"But if we send them back out, it could be a death sentence for Paris and the other girl."

"Well, is there any way we can split 'em up?" T-Dog wondered. Jacqui shook her head, taking in the horrified looks on Charlie and Paris's faces.

"Honey, they are all each other has left," Jacqui said, "It would be cruel to separate them."

"I think you're worried for nothing," Shane commented, "All the girls in their group look perfectly fine and well-cared for. Not a mark on 'em."

"Not all abuse leaves marks, Jack-ass," Daryl snarled.

"Derrick and Charlie have never hurt us," Erin supplied, speaking for the first time, "They've been protecting us."

"There you go," Shane said smugly.

"You're still talking about bringing strangers in," Maggie said, unsure.

"We could surrender our weapons," Derrick suggested suddenly.

"What?" Charlie demanded, scowling at his friend.

"We could do a trial period," Derrick offered up, "The five of us would hand over our weapons. We could show you that we aren't a threat to anybody. We just want a chance to live. We can earn our keep. I swear it."

"Ya trust 'em?" Daryl asked Rick doubtfully.

"Honestly? After what we've been through, I'm torn," Rick said.

"What if you locked us up in a storage unit at night?" Derrick suggested, "Give us lights, some food, water, and a pot to piss in and we're good. Then in the day, you let us out and we prove we can help. Please!"

His companions didn't look all that pleased with Derrick's suggestion, but it was the plea of a desperate man and Rick looked to be considering it.

"It is a solution," Rick admitted, "If his group is okay with it…"

"And what about in the daytime?" Hershel asked.

"We could all be split up," Derrick added, "We could be set to work on different tasks. You guys could watch us. Just please don't send us out there. The things we've all seen…things we've had to do-"

"How many walkers each of ya killed?" Daryl suddenly demanded, remembering the big three questions. Everyone else looked at him like he was nuts for asking him.

"Too many to count," Derrick replied, confused, "Way too many to count…'cept for the little ones. They haven't killed any."

"How many livin' people each of ya killed?" Daryl continued, undeterred.

"Three," Derrick answered. He looked to his friends.

"Two," Charlie grudgingly answered.

"None," Erin said, "The girls and I haven't killed anyone."

"Why?" Daryl asked, glancing to the two men.

"When it all began, a man tried to rob me at knife point," Derrick said, "I got a hold of it and killed him. One was a woman who got mauled by a coyote. She was suffering…I had to do it. Last one was my roommate. He was being attacked. I used my last bullet putting him out of his misery."

"Killed my dad and brother before they turned," Charlie added, still glaring. If they were telling the truth, it was good to know what they were dealing with. If they were telling the truth.

"All that seems fair," Rick said, "We'll put it to a vote. Shane, could you escort the newcomers to the back of the truck?" he asked. Shane did as he was told and returned to the community fire. Rick took a breath before addressing the group.

"You've heard the argument and the solution that's been proposed," Rick told them, "If the trial period is not satisfactory, then we'll send them on their way. All in favour of letting Derrick, Charlie, Erin, Paris, and Casey stay?"

Shane raised his hand, "There's kids, Man."

That turned out to be the selling point. The group consisted of good people who would not turn children out in a world filled with walkers. In the end, only Daryl and Carol did not raise their hands.

"It's obvious which way the wind is blowing," Carol told them, "I'd rather not say my vote. I'm going to go check on Sophia."

She turned to walk away, towards their storage unit, but Daryl caught up with her, catching her hand in his and dragging her away to the storage unit where they had made love that morning. He looked down into her eyes.

"Wanna tell me what the hell that was?" he demanded.

"Daryl-"

"Thought you were done with that damn family?" Daryl growled.

"I am!" Carol shot back at him, "Ed and his family made my life hell! The last thing I want is to be around any member of that family!"

"Then why the hell didn't you say that?" Daryl asked, "They woulda done somethin' 'bout that little prick-"

"My conscience is clear of killing Ed and it's clear of me being relieved that his brother is dead too. George Peletier was nearly as cruel to me as Ed was," Carol revealed to him, "I don't know if I could live with myself if I said something to send those kids away. Charlie…he's the way he is because of his father. Paris is just a kid. She and Sophia shared a crib when they were little. And then there's that other girl, Casey. I don't know her. She's innocent in all this and one word from me would sentence her to her death. I can't do that, Daryl. I can't show Sophia that I would do that."

Daryl considered this. Carol, the woman who took every child in the prison under her care, who taught them how to survive, who loved them as a mother would, could not let even one die.

_Daryl lingered in the shadows, listening as Carol read to the group of children. She sounded good. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't mind reading, though he absolutely hated reading out loud thanks to his elementary school teachers. She also sounded happy, pleased as she read to them._

_"'His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink'," Carol read from her book. Daryl raised an eyebrow and glanced to the title of said book: Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It sounded alright to him, mostly for the hunting reference, but even he wondered if it was a bit much for the kids. He listened as she finished out the chapter. Then she looked down at the eager faces of the children._

_"Jack finally killed a pig!" one boy cheered, "Like Mr. Daryl, right?"_

_"Not quite, Sweetheart," Carol chuckled, "Mr. Daryl hunts for food. He doesn't do it to try to impose his will on it. He doesn't get a thrill from killing something."_

_Well, he did get a thrill in the successful hunt, but he suspected that it was just happiness over being able to feed the growing masses. He didn't get much out of killing walkers, though; just another few minutes of survival. Carol sighed and his brain turned back to the lesson at hand._

_"Just like the boys on the deserted island, we're trying to make a community here at the prison. We're trying to hold onto our humanity, which is really hard to do when you have no other option than to kill to survive. You see, Jack's humanity is already starting to slip away from him as he gets caught up in his first kill," she explained, glancing over her students, "How many of you have killed a walker before?"_

_Not one child raised their hand, which wasn't all that surprising. Most had had grown-ups around to protect them. Carol nodded once before continuing. She moved to a rack of paper and flipped one of the large sheets over. On the new sheet, there was a very realistic drawing of a walker face._

_"I want to thank Patrick for this drawing," she said to the children, "Now, we've been talking a bit about walkers, how they move, how they track us…"_

_"By sound!" one girl piped up._

_"Or sight," a boy added._

_"Or smell!" another girl chirped._

_"Good," Carol praised the children, "Now, we are going to talk about where to aim if you ever meet a walker-"_

_"You aim for the head," the same boy answered as if it where the most obvious thing in the world. Daryl's own brain had finally caught up with what was happening. Carol was not simply reading stories to the young ones. She was training them to fight walkers. He watched in shock as she pointed out on her diagram where to aim and then proceeded to allow the youngsters to stab at the diagram with pencils. He waited until the children were dismissed and then he stepped out of the shadows._

_"How's 'storytime'?" he asked, feeling a slight bit of satisfaction when she jumped. She turned towards him and plastered on a smile._

_"It's good. We're reading 'Lord of the Flies'. Have you heard of it?" she asked brightly. He crossed his arms over his chest._

_"Nah," he said, "Heard ya little 'Walker Killin' 101' class, though."_

_Carol froze and straightened, looking him in the eye almost defiantly._

_"These kids need to know how to protect themselves. I can-"_

_"If Rick catches ya, ya gonna catch shit," he warned her, "Christ, don't even wanna think 'bout what them kids' parents are gonna bitch 'bout."_

_She gritted her teeth and stepped before him, "I don't care. I'm not doing it again. I refuse to let another child end up…end up like Sophia."_

_He froze upon hearing the familiar name fall from her lips. She continued._

_"If she had known more, if I had known more, she would still be alive, Daryl. If I can save at least one child from that fate by teaching them how to fight back, I will. I'm not losing another child."_

Daryl hefted out a sigh as he considered Carol's words. He thought he ought to explain, "I get it," he said, "but it still don't change the fact that I ain't too sure 'bout this group movin' in. Even if there is kids involved, this don't feel right to me. Hasn't since the minute Soph grabbed my arm when she saw her cousin."

"Daryl, we can't kick children out," Carol sighed.

"Ain't the kids I'm worried 'bout," Daryl replied, "I just…I guess…I guess it's a complication and I don't do well with complications and then they turn into big fuckin' problems…"

Carol reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him gently on the lips.

"It doesn't have to be a big problem. The four of us will keep to ourselves and avoid trouble with the new ones. Keep our heads low. That's what you told me to do with the Shane situation. We can keep it up. This doesn't have to blow up in our faces," she tried to convince him. He still looked unsure.

"And if it does blow into our faces?" he wondered. She kissed him again.

"Then we'll face it together."

It reassured him, but that feeling of dread was still there inside him.

**TBC**

**Yeah...so the new folks are not sitting well with Daryl. Despite what Carol went through with Ed and his family, she has to draw the line when it comes to kids. **

**On that note, I think I liked 'Infected' more than the premiere. Loved the action and the suspense. Glenn and Maggie were ridiculously adorable and it was so moving when Michonne held baby Judith. Also, gotta love the Caryl moment where they check in on each other after the meeting. Carol taking care of the girls was nice (nothing like a bit of tough love for the walker-naming kid), but I was disappointed that there was no mention of Sophia.**

**Also, loved the Talking Dead, especially when the comedian said that Daryl had better be careful hooking up with Carol because they could turn into the next Brad and Angelina with Carol adopting a bunch of little ones.**

**Next chapter: Daryl is concerned for his girls following the arrival of the newcomers. Then he finds something special in a storage unit.**

**Read and review! Let me know how you feel about the new arrivals and what you're thoughts are about their futures. Your reviews keep me going!**


	33. D12

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going.**

**Warning: Sexual situations**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 32: D12**

_You can read me baby, like an open book  
Stop me dead in my tracks,  
with only just one look  
What you see in me is just some kinda mystery  
But there ain't no doubt about the chemistry_

_Hey baby I'm not too blind to see,  
Well this may not be the picture perfect family  
But what we have in common is more than enough  
To keep us going when the times are tough_

Cause when the lights go down,  
and when it comes to you and me, girl  
(Ooh) you turn me inside out  
I'm still in love with you today  
Cause you make me happy.  
**…Will Hoge – You Make Me Happy**

* * *

Daryl watched, content, as Carol gently tickled the baby's stomach. Lily was lying between them, smiling sweetly up at her aunt. As Daryl had predicted, Carol had went bananas when Lily smiled at her for the first time. Now Carol did everything in her power to make Lily's face light up in that cute little baby grin.

"Isn't she adorable?" Carol murmured, gently tracing Lily's cheeks with her index finger.

"Sure," Daryl shrugged, shifted to lie back in a more comfortable position. Carol rolled her eyes, nowhere near satisfied with his response.

"Well, Aunty thinks you're cute," she said to the baby in that ridiculous baby voice she used with Lily sometimes, "Uncle Daryl is just grumpy."

"Ain't grumpy," Daryl pouted. She shot him a look that clearly said she thought otherwise.

"Daryl, we've been arguing about this all day. I'm going on watch in fifteen minutes and that's all there is to it," Carol said firmly.

"And I told ya that I'd go," he said back stubbornly, "Don't like ya out there with them walkin' 'round now."

The five newcomers had waited out their two week waiting period and today, after one long ass debate, Rick and Shane decided it was time to extend a little trust and leave the storage door unlocked. As a precaution, they added a second person on watch at nighttime, one to watch for actual threats and one to watch for the perceived threats inside the storage units.

"Daryl, you do realize that neither Charlie nor Paris have said more than five words to me in the last two weeks. They'd rather pretend I not exist, which is perfectly fine with me."

"I'd feel better if I was out there with ya," Daryl grunted sourly.

Carol sighed, "Glenn's going to be there and I've told you five times today; we're not leaving the kids alone and we're not pawning them off on somebody. One of us ought to be rested."

"Pfft. I ain't sleepin' anyways," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest. There was no way he was closing his eyes unless Carol was curled up in his arms. Carol shook her head in frustration.

"Daryl, don't be like that!" she groaned, "You'll sleep just fine."

"Told ya I don't fuckin' sleep without ya!" he protesting, sitting up now. She did too.

"I'll find you some sleeping pills tomorrow," she snapped back, getting to her feet. He got to his, not wanting to be sitting while they had this argument.

"Maybe I'll find some rope and tie ya to this damn bed!" he shot back at her, "Told ya I don't like ya bein' out there with them around!"

"Dammit, Daryl, I'm not made of glass!" she protested, "I can take care of myself!"

"Never said ya couldn't!" Daryl reminded her.

"Then stop treating me like a child!" Carol demanded, "This entire arrangement was set up so that I wouldn't be locked up in here at night. If it wasn't safe, I wouldn't be doing it."

"Them new people-"

"Have been on their best behaviour," she interrupted, slipping on her coat, "but if they decide to attack me tonight, I'll shoot them. Jesus, I almost hope they try it if only to get you to stop acting like this."

"What? I can't worry 'bout ya?" he demanded, "Ya want me to just say to hell with ya and let ya go out there and maybe get killed?"

Carol groaned and turned to grip at the collar of his shirt, "Daryl, it's sweet that you worry about me, but there are points when you worry too much. This is one of them. Glenn is going to be out there with me and you made it very clear to him that he gets an arrow in the ass if anything happens to me. I have my knife and my gun and you know I'm not afraid to use either one of them."

"But-"

She put a finger to his lips, shushing him. One hand was still gripping his collar.

"Daryl, I'm going on watch and you're going to keep an eye on the girls. Now, depending on what you say next, I am going to come back to you in the morning either pissed off or happy to see you. Which one do you want?" she asked him. Daryl sighed, scowling.

"The happy one," he muttered.

"Good," she said, standing on her tiptoes to peck him on the lips, "I'll tell Sophia to get to bed. Have a good night, Honey."

Daryl scowled after her. He had just lost this battle, but a happy Carol was better than a pissed off one. He moved back to the mattress where Lily was making happy noises. He groaned and picked up the baby, cradling his little niece. Sophia appeared in the storage unit shivering and reeking like campfire. They all were starting to get pretty rank. Washing clothes was a chore in itself, hauling water to the storage units and then finding a place warm enough to dry them. Sophia yawned and kicked off her boots. She then curled into her blankets on the couch.

"Are you and mom done fighting?" she questioned.

"Reckon so," Daryl mumbled, putting Lily in her basket, "Damn woman got her way."

Sophia was quiet for a moment before she said, "I don't like them here either."

Daryl glanced over at her before he lay down and got comfortable on the mattress, "Why?"

"Well…Erin, Casey, and Derrick seem okay, but I really don't like how Charlie and Paris are so mean to Mom," Sophia said, "They won't talk to her."

"Ya ma told me she don't care. Don't let it bother ya, Soph," Daryl advised her. There was more silence and he thought that the girl had gone to sleep.

"Paris said stuff earlier," Sophia said quietly, "Promise not to get mad?"

"Promise," he agreed, "What'd that little harpy say?"

Since the arrival of the newcomers, Daryl made it a point, now more than ever, to keep track of where his girls were. The two new fourteen-year-old girls had been assigned chores with Sophia and Carl. The four of them were responsible for washing dishes, sorting through any supplies, and folding clothes. It kept the kids busy and after Carl's little mishap on the bike he found, it was decided that it was best if they didn't find time to cause trouble. In his observations, Daryl noticed that Paris Peletier was apparently used to being spoiled and was quite loud in her protests against the menial labour.

"She said that her dad always said that Mom was a bitch and then she said that it was true because Mom was the reason that they all got locked up every night," Sophia whispered, "She said some other stuff 'bout me too."

"Ain't true, Kid," Daryl assured her, though he found himself shaking with anger, "They was gettin' locked in that box to protect all of us."

"I know, Daryl," Sophia replied. She was quiet again, this time for longer, before she asked, "Can I help you tomorrow instead of chores?"

"Why?" Daryl asked, frowning. He had been planning on doing a little hunting and there was no way that he was going to take Sophia outside of the fenced-in storage units.

"I don't like working with Paris. Never liked her really, even before when the world was normal," Sophia admitted, "She always made fun of me."

Daryl sighed, "Ya know she's full of hot air, right?"

"Yeah…but it makes me feel bad," Sophia admitted in a small voice. In that moment, Daryl wanted to lay into that uppity little brat for making his kid feel bad. He tried to get a handle on his anger, but before he could speak, Sophia said, "You said before, on the farm on the last day, that if something was gonna hurt me that I should figure a way out of it, so I thought if I did something else instead of chores with her-"

"We'll go through some of the storage units tomorrow," he caved, feeling the anger leave him as he realized that Sophia needed him to be there for her and not to go after her snot-nosed cousin.

"Night, Daryl," she whispered, sounding a little more at ease.

"Night, Kid," he mumbled back.

0

Daryl did end up falling asleep sometime after Lily's one o'clock feeding. He ended up waking up just as Carol was crawling into bed beside him.

"Ya hands are cold," he mumbled, turning slightly towards her. She responded by slipping those hands under his shirt and brushing her icy fingertips against his torso. He hissed in response, but her lips covered his to mask the sound.

"I told you I'd be back," Carol whispered, now tracing patterns over his chest with her warming fingers, "And I'm happy to see you."

She kissed him again, her lips slowly tangling with his as her hands moved to caress the taut muscles in his stomach. He bucked his hips into hers, certain that she could feel how much he wanted her. It was then he realized that she was just wearing panties. She smirked into the kiss and pulled back a little.

"I think you're happy to see me too," she murmured. He nodded his head, wishing that they were anywhere else.

"We can't with the kids," his voice was strained, hating the words that fell from his lips. Her smirk widened.

"It's quarter to eight. Sophia's eating breakfast and Lily's already with our sitter. I've got you all to myself for about ten minutes before Soph comes looking for you, Dixon," she told him. Beth had gladly taken up the role of babysitter during the day when Daryl was busy and Carol was sleeping. Daryl growled as she kissed the side of his neck and pushed his pants down. She took his erection in hand and stroked him. He groaned, letting his eyes slip shut as she worked him up.

"How we doin' this?" he moaned.

"Gotta be fast," she murmured against his skin, taking his hand and guiding it underneath her underwear, finding her ready for him.

"Jesus," he swore, moving suddenly, flipped her onto her stomach, and pushed her panties away. He pulled her hips upwards and entered her quickly, groaning at the feel of her wrapped around him. He let out a strangled question, "Good?"

"Yes," she gasped, moving back against him. That was all the incentive he needed to start thrusting into her, snaking his hand around to rub her clit. Her hands fisted the sheets on the mattress and she bit down into the pillow to muffle the sounds coming from her mouth. It didn't take long to feel her clench around him.

"Daryl!" she cried out as she came. He finished right behind her, collapsing on top of her with a satisfied groan. He pressed his mouth to her neck, dragging his teeth along her skin, nipping gently as he made his way to her ear.

"I love ya, Woman," he whispered. She shifted and somehow managed to roll onto her back. She kissed him and smiled.

"I love you too, Daryl," Carol whispered back, kissing him again. Then she giggled, "So this is what all the fuss about make-up sex is about."

He groaned, dropping his head to her shoulder and nipping at her again. She sighed, "I guess you should get dressed. Soph said she was with you searching storage units today."

"Yup, so she can escape that brat of a cousin of hers," Daryl responded, reluctantly rolling off of her to change his clothes. Carol groaned and snuggled back into the blankets.

"They've never got along well. What'd she say to you about it?" she asked. Daryl shrugged on a clean shirt.

"Just that the little brat was sayin' shit 'bout you and Soph. Soph said she wants to stay away from the little harpy from now on," he told her.

"And you're okay with her helping you?" Carol asked, "I know you wanted to go hunting today."

"Huntin' can wait," Daryl shrugged, leaning over to kiss her one more time, "We'll be fine."

0

A couple hours later, Daryl glanced up at the number on the storage unit he was set to pillage. D12. These last couple of weeks had left him too busy to pursue the tip he received from Carol in the dream world, but thanks to Sophia, his plans had shifted and he now had the time to search the unit. He looked back to his little helper.

"Alright, Rabbit. You're up, Kiddo," he said, gesturing for Sophia to step forward. She held a pair of bolt-cutters that were almost as big as she was. They had already gone through one other locker together and he was a little proud when she moved to snap the lock in the exact same way that he showed her the first time. He lifted the door up.

"Wow! Daryl, look, that's a pinball machine!" Sophia cried, springing forward to press uselessly at the buttons on the side of the garish purple machine.

"Looks like it needs some electricity, Soph," Daryl told her with a chuckle, "C'mon, Kid. Help me push this thing outta the way."

"That sucks," Sophia sulked, helping Daryl push the pinball machine out the door, "I bet Carl woulda liked it."

Daryl chuckled and glanced to the contents of the locker. He could see a leather sofa, a book shelf, two large wardrobes, and a bunch of boxes.

"Maybe we'll find somethin' else in here," he told her, hoping that he would find something a little more interesting in this locker than a broken pinball machine. He stepped forward and grabbed a box from the top. He passed it to Sophia and she dragged it outside. They continued this for a while, clearing the wall of boxes away.

"Need a hand?" Maggie offered, stepping into the unit.

"Even though I can only give one," Amy quipped, smiling as she came to join them.

"Won't say 'no' to ya," Daryl replied.

"How'd you get out of dish duty?" Amy asked, ruffling Sophia's hair as they sat down to rummage through some of the cardboard boxes. Sophia shrugged.

"Wanted to hang out with Daryl," she said.

"I would too," Maggie replied, moving to push a heavier box out the door, "I don't think that little Paris has done a hard day's work in her life. Nasty little thing. No offence, Soph."

"None taken," Sophia agreed, opening a box to find it filled with vinyl records. She pushed it aside. Records were useless to them.

"Casey seems quiet. That's the other one, right? The blond?" Amy wondered.

"Erin's sister, yeah," Sophia answered, opening another box, this one full of books, "I've never seen anyone ride a horse like that before," she commented, showing them one of those romance novels with the beefy shirtless guy on the front, riding a horse with the blond, busty woman in his arms. Amy laughed, taking the book from her and tilting her head to better look at the abs on the guy.

"After we're done, I'm going to find Miguel. This abstinence thing is killing me," she sighed. Daryl made a face.

"What's abstinence?" Sophia asked. The tips of Amy's ears turned red, remembering Sophia was in the room.

"Something that you're gonna do 'til ya thirty," Daryl replied. He turned to Amy, "Don't say shit like that 'round my kid."

"What? You corrupted me," Amy shrugged.

"Why are you waiting?" Maggie asked, holding her hands up defensively at Daryl's glare.

"We don't have any...uh…" Amy looked to Daryl, who growled in warning as he moved to shift a bookshelf out of the way. Maggie laughed, moving to press her hands over Sophia's ears.

"You guys don't have protection?" she asked in a whisper.

"Haven't come across any," Amy admitted, a blush creeping over her face.

"Glenn has squirrelled away more condoms than we're ever going to need. I'll grab you a box," Maggie offered.

"Thanks," Amy said gratefully.

"Ya done with the bloody sex talk yet?" Daryl growled, nodding to Sophia, "I could really use some help with this fuckin' bookshelf."

"Someone needs to get laid," Amy commented.

"Need some condoms?" Maggie teased before removing her hands from Sophia's ears. She looked around, confused as Daryl grumbled under his breath about mouthy women. Maggie laughed as she moved to help Daryl with a bookshelf. They were just stepping outside when one of the new voices called to them.

"Hey! Let me help you with that!" and then a strong pair of arms was lifting on Maggie's end.

"I've got it," Maggie said as they set the shelf down. Daryl glanced up to see the blond hair of the new guy, Derrick.

"Of course," Derrick said, nodding to her, "Can I be of assistance?" he asked. Daryl was about to tell him to bugger off. He didn't like being around the new people. Maggie beat him to it.

"If you're not needed elsewhere," she told him, moving to grab another box.

"Great!" Derrick said with a grin, "The other shelf next?" he asked Daryl. Daryl grunted and nodded, moving with the younger man to move the other bookshelf. Daryl nearly groaned when Derrick opened his mouth again. This kid was a talker.

"I was helping Glenn and Shane do some vehicle repairs," Derrick announced, "They finished up early. Glenn looked pretty tired."

"He was on watch with Carol last night," Maggie answered, dropping her box in front of Amy and Sophia.

"Ah, Sophia's mother," Derrick said, his face lighting up in recognition before he looked to Daryl, "Your woman, right? You don't take watch?" he asked. The question got on Daryl's nerves. It implied that he let his woman do the hard stuff.

"My mom's claustrophobic," Sophia supplied, "She doesn't like being in the storage locker at night when the door's shut."

"Ah, I see. Good solution," Derrick said, smiling down at her.

"It is," Daryl said, "My woman's a hell of a shot. Taught her everything she knows."

He hoped the kid took it as a threat. Over the last couple months, he started working with Carol on her aim whenever they had time. It had vastly improved from that night on the farm.

"We're all pretty capable," Maggie told the new guy, lifting another box.

"I don't doubt it for a second," Derrick chuckled, staring at Maggie in admiration as she carried the box to Sophia and Amy, "Glenn's a lucky guy."

Maggie blushed and Daryl's frown deepened. He didn't like the way this guy was looking at Maggie. He grunted towards the new kid, "Let's get that wardrobe."

He and Derrick went to move the larger of the two wardrobes, but even that didn't stop Derrick from running his mouth, "My girlfriend of two years died in the first days," he said, "How long were you with Glenn before?"

"We met after," Maggie admitted, "about three months ago on my family's farm."

"Wow," Derrick commented as he walked backwards out of the unit, "The way you two act, I would have thought you've been together for a long time. How'd you meet?"

"Well, Daryl and Glenn's group got stuck on the interstate near our farm. Some of their group got injured in the woods and my dad patched them up," Maggie replied, giving the kid the short version.

"I hit my head," Sophia piped up, "And Daryl had an arrow stuck in his side and Carl got shot."

"Really?" Derrick asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise, "That must have been one wild trek through the woods. Worst thing to happen to us was Charlie was getting sliced on the arm."

"Poor baby," Amy responded sarcastically, smirking a little to show she was joking.

"Well, it definitely pales in comparison," Derrick said, moving to help Daryl with the other wardrobe, "If you had to hear him tell it, though, you'd think he had the worst injury known to man. Erin's got her hands full with that one," he chuckled.

"So they're a thing?" Amy asked, "Erin and Charlie."

"Yeah," Derrick answered, "I think that's what's got Chuck so bent out of shape about being stuck in a locker with me and the kids. No privacy."

As much as Daryl disliked Charlie Peletier, he could relate to the no privacy thing.

"Charlie's an asshole," Sophia muttered. Derrick turned to her in surprise. He glanced over at Daryl, who shrugged in amusement, and then looked to the rest of them. Maggie and Amy both shuffled uneasily.

"Chuck isn't a bad guy," Derrick defended his friend, "He's just surly. Got a bit of a temper, but he's a good guy."

"He's an asshole," Sophia repeated, standing up, "He's always been an asshole and his brothers and sister were always assholes."

"Paris and Charlie are your cousins, aren't they?" Derrick asked her, shocked, "They're your family-"

"No they aren't!" Sophia snapped, "Family doesn't hurt you! I hate them and I hate-"

"Sophia," Daryl intervened, moving to put a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Go see Beth. Check on Lily," he suggested. Sophia looked up at him, unsure, perhaps wondering if he was upset with her, "I ain't mad at ya. Just don't be usin' language like that 'round ya ma. Go on now."

"'Kay. I'll go check on my cousin," Sophia said quietly, walking out of the unit. Daryl and Derrick both noticed how Sophia referred to Lily as her cousin. Derrick let out a low whistle.

"That's one pissed off little girl," he said. Daryl growled a little in his throat.

"I think she gets that from Papa Daryl," Amy commented. Daryl grunted and turned to look at the wall of boxes that had been behind the furniture. He moved forward and began throwing them down. He still hadn't found anything interesting enough for a dream conversation with Carol.

"You are a bit of an enigma," Derrick observed, talking to Daryl, "I mean, you're pretty surly and give off the impression that you'd like to be on your own, yet you've got a family and you're third-in-command-"

Daryl dropped a box in front of the kid with more force than necessary, taking delight when something breakable smashed inside. Third-in-command? He glared at the younger man, "Less talkin', more workin'," he growled.

"Hey, I think it's great that you've got the family thing going. Were you with Carol when her husband was alive?" Derrick asked, apparently not getting the message, "I've heard a lot about him. Charlie and Paris both rave about what a good man he was and then your people apparently think he was the devil-"

"Ed Peletier was the devil!" Daryl snarled, throwing another box to the floor of the storage unit, spilling its contents all over the floor, "He was nothing more than a wife-beating son-of-a-bitch who hit Carol and tried to rape Sophia! Fucker deserved what he got!"

Derrick stood, wide-eyed, "Did you kill him?" he asked.

"He was killed by walkers," Amy intervened, "Night I lost my arm. He was torn apart."

That had been the lie constructed to protect Carol. The first night the newcomers were locked into their storage unit, they had decided that it was best if Charlie Peletier did not know that Carol killed Ed. It wasn't that much of a stretch, considering that that would have been Ed's fate had Daryl not screwed up. Daryl glared at the young man, stepping closer to him.

"I wish I would've killed him," Daryl snapped, trying to get a handle on his self-control. He looked to the three young people, "I'll finish this myself."

"Daryl, I-"

"Derrick, I think we should leave Daryl to it," Maggie said from her spot beside Amy, "Let's head out."

The three young people left Daryl alone, shaking and angry. He kicked at a stuffed bear holding a plush heart, but it was hardly satisfying. He paced the storage unit, stopping to lean against the wall, letting his head rest against the cement wall. He glanced down and frowned.

He knelt to the floor, picking up a small, blue velvet box by his foot. He picked it up and opened it. A diamond engagement ring glared back at him.

**TBC**

**Soooo...Daryl followed dreamCarol's advice in the previous chapter and found something special. Let's face it, he's already part of the family and he wants them to know it.**

**Next chapter: Christmas dregs up concerns and Merle gives Daryl a warning.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	34. Christmas Concerns

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. They really keep me going. Daryl has some concerns about the future and decides that it's high time he did something about it.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I also do not own any song lyrics that you may find in this story. Their owners are listed next to them.

**Chapter 33: Christmas Concerns**  
_  
And now, as long as I can, I'm holding on with both hands,  
'Cause forever I believe that there's nothing I could need but you,  
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know..._

You're never gonna be alone  
From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,  
I won't let you fall.  
When all hope is gone, I know that you can carry on.  
We're gonna see the world out,  
I'll hold you 'til the hurt is gone.

Oh!  
You've gotta live every single day,  
Like it's the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?  
Don't let it slip away,  
Could be our only one, you know it's only just begun.  
Every single day,  
Maybe our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?  
Tomorrow never comes...

_Time, is going by, so much faster than I,  
And I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you._  
**…Nickelback – Never Gonna Be Alone**

* * *

By Dale's estimate, Christmas had come upon them. To Daryl, who had maybe celebrated one or two Christmases in his entire life, it really wasn't a big deal. The others, however, were thrilled with the idea of finding something to celebrate. Of the many storage units, there was one that was full of all sorts of Christmas decorations, which were pulled out and arranged outside by Beth, Amy, Maggie, Erin, and the four children. Daryl was put to work hunting up something for a Christmas meal and managed to find a deer, though it took the better part of his day. Carol, Jacqui, and Lori decided that they would open cans of corn and cranberries to go with it. Lori had suggested that they find gifts, which Daryl thought was useless on account of they simply grabbed anything they needed from a storage unit, but the others didn't seem to mind the idea. Daryl didn't really care for the idea of searching for crap to give the group, especially in that it was mostly useless anyways.

In truth, he only really wanted to give one gift: the ring that was currently hiding at the bottom of his quiver of arrows. Mustering up the nerve to give it, however, was a different matter.

For the first few days, he had waited, hoping that he would have a dream and that either Carol or Merle would explain if the significance of the ring, even though Merle would probably scorn him and list off reasons why Daryl shouldn't propose. The dreams did not come, although the fact that he spent most nights staring up at the ceiling of the storage unit probably did not help. He was lost in thought about the tiny ring and what it would mean for his future. He was sure that he wanted Carol to be his wife and he was pretty certain that she would agree to take him as her husband. The problem was finding a way to go about asking her without him coming off as a complete sap. Not only that, but he never had any good models to learn from. His own parents had to get married because Merle was on the way. Merle himself had scorned the idea of marriage and would have kicked his ass for even thinking about asking Carol to marry him. Daryl wanted nothing more than to let her know that he wanted her to be his for the rest of his life. He just needed an opportunity, which he was hoping all of this Christmas fuss would give him.

He leaned against the side of the storage unit, holding Lily close to his chest, as he watched decorations go up which greatly contrasted with the sounds of T-Dog, Glenn, Shane, Derrick, and Charlie culling walkers through the chain-link. The walkers hadn't been bad. They only got about ten or so a night, minor compared to the prison. If a herd rolled in, though, they could be in trouble, which was why essentials were packed away in vehicles rather than individual storage units.

"Do you think Lily's excited for Christmas, Daryl?" Sophia asked, dragging a plastic reindeer near to him.

"Only thing that excites her are bottles and those goofy-lookin' smiles ya'll make at her," Daryl replied. The baby gurgled in response. Sophia smiled and reached so Lily could grasp her fingers.

"Are you excited for Christmas, Lily?" the girl cooed, "Santa Claus is gonna come tonight-"

"You believe in Santa Claus?" a snooty voice scoffed. Daryl narrowed his eyes at the curly-haired she-demon that was the bane of his family's existence. Paris Peletier was a smug fourteen-year-old who had the air of someone who had been incredibly spoiled. Carol had told Daryl that while Sophia was treated poorly by the Peletiers, Paris was viewed as a breath of fresh air after her three brothers and as such, she was heavily favoured by her parents and grandparents. Anything she said or did was met with praise from her family, though in Daryl's opinion, the kid really needed a good smack.

"I was talking to my cousin," Sophia responded with a glare.

"Sure," Paris scoffed, "You're such a baby, I bet you think Santa Claus is going to really come!"

"I'm not a baby!" Sophia protested angrily, "I'm almost thirteen!"

"Pfft! You look like you're eight," Paris replied, tossing down a bunch of ribbons and garland, "Put those up."

"Why don't you do it?" Sophia shot at her cousin.

"I have more important things to do," Paris said smugly. Sophia glared, but went to move to pick up the ribbons. Daryl put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Soph, 'member I told ya not to take crap from no one?" Daryl reminded her, "Take Lily and find ya mom. Let this little brat do her own damn work."

"Excuse me?" Paris demanded, crossing her arms and glaring up at Daryl.

"Ya heard me," Daryl said, passing the baby off to Sophia, "Do ya own damn work."

"You don't tell me what to do, you stupid, dumb old hick!" Paris snapped at him. For the first time in his life, this timeline and the other timeline included, Daryl was actually considering hitting a kid.

"Keep it up ya little harpy, and I might be givin' the walkers a Christmas present!" Daryl growled, "Do ya own fuckin' work."

Paris glared at Daryl for a long moment, her face slowly turning red before she turned and shouted, "CHARLIE!"

Charles Peletier came running, abandoning his spot at the fence. Some of the other men came running too and most of the woman had moved to find the source of the scream. Charlie skidded to a hault in front of his sister, "What's wrong, Paris?" he wheezed. Paris viciously pointed at Daryl.

"HE swore at me AND he said he'd feed me to the walkers!"

Charlie looked up at Daryl then, grinding his teeth together in a horrible scowl, "YOU SAID WHAT?"

Daryl glared right back, growling, "That little harpy oughta pull her own damn weight instead tellin' other people to do shit all the time! If she can't hack it, maybe she ought to go out there with the walkers!"

"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT MY SISTER LIKE THAT!"

Daryl had been anticipating the hit and moved his head as Charlie's fist lashed out at him. Instead of connecting with Daryl's face, Charlie's hand connected with the concrete wall. The younger man howled in pain, clutching his injured first.

"LOOK WHAT HE DID TO MY BROTHER!" Paris screeched, pointing at Daryl and looking at him with the purest loathing, "HE HURT CHARLIE!"

"Daryl, what happened?" Rick demanded, trying to survey the scene.

"Lil' Bastard tried to punch me and I moved my head," Daryl responded, trying not to smirk at Charlie's plight. Rick sighed.

"Shane, Derrick, take him to Hershel to get him fixed up. Daryl, you're with me," he said, moving to steer Daryl away from the others, where Paris was still demanding punishment for Daryl. Rick ignored her indignant cries and pulled Daryl into an empty unit. He looked weary, "Alright, what happened?"

"That lil' brat Paris was tryin' to pawn her chores off on Sophia. I stepped in, told her to do her own damn chores, and she screamed for that ape of a brother of hers and then he tried to hit me. I moved and now he's cryin' to the doc," Daryl explained, shrugging.

Rick let out a breath and asked, "Daryl, what happened to you avoiding the newcomers like the plague?"

"So what? Ya expect me to sit back while they force us all to do the hard stuff?" Daryl demanded, "Christ, Rick."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Rick protested, "Charlie, Derrick, and Erin have been pulling their weight, which is why I'm fine with them staying. I'm not so concerned with the kids not working and you shouldn't be either. I know it's hard to watch them go about things, but sometimes as parents we gotta let them fight their own battles," Rick advised.

Daryl scowled thinking that he liked Rick a hell of a lot more in the other timeline where Rick was the self-proclaimed dictator of the group. It was a role Rick had taken to keep the remaining group members alive, but now it was different. In total, they had lost two people in this timeline compared to the eight that they had lost in the other one. Rick didn't yet realize what loss really meant and how important it was for him to make the hard choices for the good of the group. Daryl had been trying to step into that role, like he had when Rick stepped down from leadership to go farming, but often his efforts, like with fighting against taking in the newcomers, were met with incredulity and scorn. In truth, Daryl expected the shit to hit the fan any day now and he had a feeling that anyone who got hit with it was going to suffer.

"Ya want me to step out of the way, huh?" Daryl scoffed, "Fine. I'll stay far away from the kids and the new folks and Shane and you."

He made to walk away, but Rick called to him, "What the hell do you mean by that?"

Daryl turned, and snapped, "What's the point in me sayin' anythin' when I know no damn body takes what I say seriously anyhow?"

Rick frowned, "Daryl, you're making trouble where there isn't any. It's like you're shouting 'Shark!' when there's nothing in the water."

"'Cept there is and you're makin' us all swim with 'em!" Daryl shot at him, "Right now ya think that ya got a buncha cute lil' dolphins bumpin' into ya and ya don't realize that they're the viscous type that'll rip ya apart!"

"Daryl, you're being paranoid-"

"Paranoid's gonna keep us alive," Daryl growled, "Gotten this far relyin' on my gut 'stead of strangers and I trust it a hell of a lot more than anythin' else right now. If ya need me, I'll be in my box," he grumbled, walking away from Rick feeling frustrated with the entire situation. He flopped onto the mattress in his storage unit and glared at the ceiling. Though Daryl had decided early on that he would follow Rick as leader, he was now questioning that decision. Rick had yet to adopt that no-nonsense attitude that would save lives. He was different from the way he was in the other timeline and it did not bode well. Daryl could work with the Rick from the other timeline. He wasn't sure that he could work with this one.

On that note, Daryl had to acknowledge that he was also different from the way he was. He had changed too. In the other timeline, Daryl had been the willing second-in-command, quiet, but slowly stepping into the group and becoming more involved. Now, Daryl was used to always being involved in major decisions. At the prison, he had stepped into the leadership role when Rick lost Lori and he had been part of the council, presiding over their new community and taking part in plans for their future. He wasn't a loyal follower anymore; he was a capable leader now. The problem was that he had to hold back, avoid rocking the boat, and swallow the fact that those in charge still thought, to some extent, that he was a rough, inexperienced, troubled loner, despite how far he had come.

He glared up at the ceiling more intently and almost didn't notice when Carol came in with the baby. She sat on the edge of the mattress and reached over to brush some hair from his face. He looked up at her, but she didn't say a word, just sitting down and running her hand through his hair and over his face as Lily rested in the crook of Carol's other arm. Her presence and her touch calmed him and dragged the words out of him.

"Rick said I shouldn't treat the newcomers like threats. Told me I was yellin' 'Shark!' when there weren't none in the water," Daryl grumbled. Carol looked at him for a long moment, but still moved her hand over him in those comforting patterns.

"You know what I think?" she asked. He locked eyes with her, noticing the spark there that could either bode ill or well for him. She continued, now sure that she had his full attention, "I think it would be stupid for us to ever lower our guard."

He responded by quirking his lips slightly and tilting his head to the side, a silent gesture for her to keep talking.

"As much as I like Rick, I think that he's…naïve," Carol said slowly, "I mean, he's come a long way since the CDC and the vatos headquarters, but he's so willing to believe in anything. He believes in Shane's redemption after being fed some flowery words and apologies. He believes in the newcomers because they've put on their best faces while being watched. He doesn't pause to think if he should believe in everything."

"He hasn't been fucked over yet," Daryl muttered. Carol nodded and lay down beside him, shifting Lily so that the baby was more on Daryl's chest, ready to slip into sleep.

"He doesn't realize that he and Shane are in a very unhealthy relationship," Carol commented, resting her head on his shoulder. Daryl grunted in agreement. Then they lay in silence. Carol soon followed Lily into dreamland and Daryl followed not long after.

**_Daryl looked around the dream world and noticed only his brother. Daryl suppressed a groan, hoping that today, his brother would actually speak. When Daryl approached, however, Merle actually glanced up at him. Daryl considered this to be progress. Instead of saying anything, Daryl simply sat down beside his brother and stared off at the white nothingness._**

**_Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Merle spoke, "I told ya to shoot Walsh."_**

**_"And I said that I couldn't just kill him. Can't now. Rick trusts him. If I did it, Rick'd never trust me again and I need that trust for the future," Daryl replied evenly. Neither brother made any other movement, simply staring ahead._**

**_"Nothin's clear no more," Merle commented, "Used to be that ya path forward was obvious…now…now that these new fucks joined ya, things ain't clear no more."_**

**_"What d'ya mean?" Daryl wondered, now turning his head to look at his brother's profile._**

**_"I don't know," Merle admitted, chewing on his lip, "but I don't like it. Don't like it at all. Thinkin' this might be the last time we chat for a while."_**

**_"What?" Daryl demanded, "What the hell are you talking about? The last time?"_**

**_"Not the last time, just…I don't know, Man," Merle shrugged, "Just don't expect a lotta divine intervention. Whatever happens, ya on ya own, Boy."_**

**_Daryl didn't know what unsettled him more, the news that his way forward was uncertain, the idea that his brother wouldn't be there to guide him, or the regretful look on his brother's face._**

**_"Merle…"_**

**_Now Merle turned to him, his face more serious than it had ever been in life or death, "Ya keep that family of yours close. Lil' Whoops, too."_**

**_"'Course I will," Daryl declared, "Merle, I don't-"_**

**_"Look, ya way forward ain't clear," Merle repeated, sighing, "Best I can figure is one of them newcomers are goin' to bring down hell on all of ya. Don't know which, but it ain't gonna be good. Watch 'em."_**

**_"Was already doin' that, but-"_**

**_Merle was starting to fade. With a sad smile, Merle said, "That thing ya found…give it to her."_**

Daryl opened his eyes and noticed that Carol woken up at some point and how she was sitting on the couch watching as Lil' Whoops sat on Sophia's lap, staring intently as the older girl flipped the pages of some picture book. A content smile graced Carol's lips as she watched the girls together. She had never looked more peaceful or more beautiful in his opinion. Then she noticed him staring at her and she turned that smile towards him.

"Jacqui saved you some supper. Everyone else is out sitting by the fire. Want to join?" Carol asked. Daryl nodded.

"I'll meetcha out there," he told them. Carol smiled and took the baby from Sophia, making sure that Lily was wrapped up. Sophia pulled on her coat and then surprised Daryl by giving him a quick hug. After they were out the door, Daryl pulled on his leather jacket and then went to his quiver of arrows. He spilled the contents on the floor and then hastily stuffed the arrows back inside. He picked up the little blue box, opened it, and stared for a moment at the ring. Then he snapped the box shut and stowed it in his pocket.

He walked outside and joined his family, settling on the ground with Sophia in between him and Carol.

"Nice to see you out and about, Sugar," Jacqui said, handing him a bowl before she went to sit with T-Dog. Miguel was leaning against the storage unit with Amy sitting in between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Glenn was holding Maggie's hand, watching and Jimmy stoked the fire and returned to sit beside Beth. Hershel and Dale were both sitting on top of the RV, chuckling about something as they kept watch. The Grimes family sat together, Rick pressing his lips to Lori's temple, unaware that Shane's dark eyes were on them from where he sat next to Derrick. Charlie was on Derrick's other side, his injured hand being tenderly stroked by Erin. The two fourteen-year-old girls were sitting together, chattering about some useless thing.

It was peaceful, almost like a family gathering. When asked, Beth and Maggie sang a couple carols, which had most everyone joining in. Half-assed gifts were exchanged. Maggie jokingly tossed a romance novel over at Amy and Miguel. Amy retaliated by attaching a bow to Glenn's head. Beth grinned widely as Jimmy presented her with a ribbon to tie her hair up with. Then Maggie and Glenn passed her a book of songs that they found. Carl received a digital watch from his parents. Carol had made ponchos for both Daryl and Sophia, rendering Daryl speechless as he held the familiar poncho in his hand. In the other timeline, he had found it at the storage units, but it was something else now to have it given to him as a gift. Sophia had found a book for Carol, a little plush toy for Lily, and she even gave Daryl a pair of leather gloves. Early on, Daryl had found a storage unit that had been filled with hunting supplies. It had long been cleared and much of its contents were in compartments of the RV. Daryl and Carol had discussed the idea of giving her a longer blade, which he now presented the girl with, prompting both him and Carol to warn her about being responsible with it.

It was a good night and not even the presence of the newcomers could ruin it. Derrick and Charlie had presented the females of their group with some jewellery that had been scavenged. Daryl scoffed as Paris and Casey skipped over to show off their necklaces to Carl, who turned red at the attention and stammered out a response to them. Sophia eyed the three other kids with jealousy before Carol leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You're beautiful without all that, Soph."

"Necklace ain't gonna keep ya warm or safe," Daryl mumbled. Sophia smiled up to them and nodded, but when she turned to look back at Carl, she frowned when she saw Casey, the younger blond, kiss Carl on the cheek. The boy turned even redder and Sophia excused herself to the bathroom. Carol sighed and leaned into Daryl.

"Wanna switch watch?" she asked.

"Ya sure?" he murmured.

"This is a 'mom conversation'. I'll soldier though the claustrophobia," Carol decided, shifting to her feet, "I'm going to go get the girls to bed."

Daryl nodded, more than willing to let her have those conversations with Sophia, and he kissed her before she went. That ring was burning a hole in his pocket. He knew he wanted to give it to her, but he was still trying to find that opportunity. He had the feeling that he ought to have done it in the storage unit earlier.

"I'm on watch with you," Jacqui announced, getting to her feet, "It's almost time to relieve Dale and Hershel."

Daryl nodded and got to his feet. They relieved Dale and Hershel and not long after, the others began trickling to bed. Daryl watched as the newcomers walked towards their storage unit. Merle's warning echoed loud and clear in his head. He wondered which one would end up screwing everything up.

Derrick was a smarmy bastard and he could read people, charm them. He had charmed his way into the group. In truth, it was a little disconcerting how fast he managed to get into the good graces of not only Rick and Shane, but most of the others. The only ones who weren't charmed by Derrick were Glenn, who had confided to Carol that he didn't like the way Derrick looked and talked with Maggie, and Hershel, who did not approve of the way Derrick flirted with both of his daughters. Beth was more taken with the older man than Maggie, who tried to limit her contact with him altogether.

Charlie was surly with nearly everyone, opting to remain silent unless he was spoken to. He did not go out of his way to make friends and he made a point to avoid the women of the camp, preferring to speak to the men. He was fiercely protective of his sister and Erin, often keeping close tabs on them. The youth also made it a point to either pretend that Carol and Sophia not exist or to glare at his former aunt. He had been conditioned to look down on women and to believe that Carol was the ruin of his family.

Daryl expected that either of them would be the threat that Merle warned him against. It wasn't because they were men; it was more than Daryl knew men like them. Daryl had gone to school with bullies like Charlie and smooth-talkers like Derrick. Both types had made Daryl's childhood hell and he expected either one of them to bring down hell on them now. If Daryl was wrong, though, then he supposed that of the three other newcomers, Paris Peletier could just as easily start shit.

She was a spoiled brat and her demands could easily sway her brother to act for her. Not only that, but she was downright nasty. Sophia tended to avoid her, often trying to stick by Daryl or Carol when she could. It took some prodding from Carol, but Sophia had eventually revealed that Paris often looked down on Sophia, teasing her about not being as 'developed' as Paris was. Though Daryl had been confused about it, Carol had explained to him that girls at Sophia's age often had issues with their body as they went through puberty. That was the point where Daryl proclaimed that he was going hunting and fled from the storage unit. In addition to the remarks about Sophia's body image, there were also the scathing remarks about Carol, which Sophia was told to ignore. Daryl felt bad that his kid was being used as Paris's punching bag, but Sophia was not her only target. Paris had taken to following Jimmy around, batting her eyes at him and forgoing warm jackets so that she could show off her figure to the older boy. Jimmy would skulk away, embarrassed, back to Beth, who would then bear the brunt of Paris's bad attitude. Daryl thought that it was wearing on Beth, who wasn't nearly as cheery as she could be. Yes, Paris was one to start shit.

Erin and Casey Douglas were different, quiet, and Daryl rarely noticed them. From what he gathered, Erin was helpful with the day-to-day chores and generally had a kind disposition. Daryl felt bad for the girl who had fallen as defencelessly into Charles Peletier's web as Carol had fallen into Ed's. Though she wasn't yet being harmed by her boyfriend, it was very clear that she belonged to Charlie and that she would obediently follow his lead. Amy said that Erin was grateful to Charlie for taking care of her and her sister which accounted for the way she hero-worshiped him. Casey, the younger of the sisters, was also quiet, never speaking out against Paris. Where Paris was the leader, Casey was the follower and often she watched as Paris abused her cousin. In addition, the girl seemed to have a thing for Carl, often following the boy around and even trying out a couple of Paris's own stalking techniques on the young Grimes. He tried to appear oblivious, but he failed at it.

"You're quiet," Jacqui observed. Daryl glanced over at her.

"Just thinkin'," he sighed. She smiled at him in the dark.

"Glaring at the new ones again?" she teased.

"Ain't wrong to be cautious," Daryl muttered, "If somethin' happens with one of them, it could be hell for us," he told her, repeating Merle's warning. He expected her to tell him that he was paranoid or mistaken about the new ones.

"I understand why you feel that way," Jacqui stated, surprising him, "If something does go wrong, you have a lot to lose. There's your niece, Sophia, Carol…I'd be a little concerned if you weren't worried."

"I can't lose 'em," Daryl admitted to her, "Never thought I was the kind for a family, but now…now they mean everythin' to me. I just…if somethin' happened to 'em and I couldn't stop it…"

Daryl hadn't realized how worked up he was getting until Jacqui reached over and squeezed his arm comfortingly and said, "I would hate to see the threat that Daryl Dixon can't stop. You're good for them. You're good for Carol," Jacqui asserted, "Did you find her a present?"

Daryl reached into his pocket and held up the box, causing Jacqui's eyebrows to reach her hairline.

"Are you…are you going to…"

"She's the one," Daryl replied, stowing the box back in his pocket.

"How are you going to ask her?" Jacqui asked. Daryl sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

"Wish I knew," he moaned, "Have no idea what to do or say or when would be the right time."

"Carol doesn't expect you to do anythin', Sugar," Jacqui told him, "She's a very down-to-earth woman and she already loves you no matter what you do or say. Hell, just tell her what you just told me. There's no right or wrong way to propose, Honey, so long as it's right for you. As for the right time, how about right now?" she wondered.

"Now?" Daryl questioned, "I'm on watch-"

"Go wake Theodore and tell him to come up here," Jacqui requested, "There's no reason he can't come keep watch with me. Go on."

"But-"

"No. I want to watch the stars with my man and you want to propose to my best friend. This is in both of our best interests. Now go. Don't hesitate," she shooed him. He took the hint after a moment, descending the RV and approaching T-Dog and Jacqui's storage unit. He tapped on it and told his friend that Jacqui wanted him. T-Dog was more than willing to join his woman, leaving Daryl to head to his own storage unit, his hand around the small box in his pocket.

**Don't hesitate.**

That's what it all boiled down to. The first time around, he had let Carol die without her knowing how much he loved her and now, the universe was practically screaming for him to man up and not make that mistake over again. Carol had told him not to hold back in the first dream he had about her. The ring was practically forced into his hands. Jacqui said those exact words to him. Even Merle had encouraged him to finally do it and let his feelings be known. It was time to be a man.

When he ducked inside, he found Carol covering a sleeping Sophia with a blanket and then moving to ensure Lily was tucked in tight.

"Ya been goin' back and forth all night?" he questioned softly. She paused in her fussing, aware that she had been caught, and smiled sheepishly.

"I like to-"

"-keep busy when you're nervous," Daryl finished for her, coming to a stop in front of her, smiling slightly. It was one of the things he loved about her, "I know you."

She reached up to bring his face in her hands so that she could kiss him, "I thought you had watch," she murmured. He swallowed nervously, still wondering how to do this. His mind went blank as he tried to recall his words to Jacqui on the RV. He fiddled with the box in his pocket, it opened slightly and he was able to slip his fingers inside to grasp the ring. He was so close and he was terrified that he was going to fuck it up. It must have shown on his face. She frowned and said his name, "Daryl?"

Her fingers were gently stroking his face, attempting to calm him and it worked to some degree. The nerves were still there, but her touch soothed them, tamed them. He caught her left hand in his right. She looked confused for a moment, but then he looked down at their hands before he took the ring from his pocket and slipped it onto her ring finger, stopping just before her knuckle. He raised his eyes to hers in a question. Surprise was all over her face as her eyes filled with tears. She brought her other hand to rest on his and in that moment, he was terrified that she would push him away.

Instead, she moved his hand so that the ring slid further onto her finger.

"Yes," she whispered before she kissed him.

**TBC**

**Alright so Daryl finally did something big about his hesitation, even though he'll have a hell of a struggle making Rick see that he's hesitating on some much bigger matters.**

**Next chapter: Daryl and Glenn discover a new threat while some old threats look to cause trouble.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	35. Follow You

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. I have never had a story that has ever reached 500 reviews, so I really want to thank you all. I have been informed that it may be in my best interests to remove the song lyrics from the beginning of the chapters. That will be a process that will be undertaken later this week as I am a bit busy, but serves me right for not paying closer attention to a rule barring the use of song lyrics in stories.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

Song that goes with the chapter: I'll Follow You by Shinedown

**Chapter 34: Follow You**

It had taken all of three minutes before Sophia noticed the ring on her mother's finger. Daryl had been concerned that the grin on the girl's face would get stuck there, but he was just as damn happy as she was. Daryl wanted to be an official part of their family more than anything and he was thrilled that Carol had said 'yes' and that Sophia was so damn excited about it. She was permitted to tell the others about it at breakfast, causing grins to split out and questions to be asked. Amy had teased him mercilessly about his wordless proposal, but Carol had told him that it was perfect for them, sweet and simple.

Lori had asked when they planned to actually get married, which prompted a bit of a debate about marriage in the apocalypse. After all, in this new world, there was no need to wait for a fancy cake, big dresses, or churches. If they wanted to get married, it was simple enough just to say that they were married and be done with it. Hell, they didn't even need rings to show it, but Daryl actually wanted to wear one, to show that he happily belonged to one woman and one woman only. Carol felt the same and so they decided that as soon as they found a set of wedding bands, they would exchange them in whatever way they deemed fit and be 'officially married'.

When Daryl and Glenn headed out on a run two days after Christmas, Daryl had decided that he would be looking around for those wedding bands as he was eager to consider himself a married man. It was a hat he had never worn before and he was eager to try it on. This plan was derailed by what they actually found in Gainesville.

They were on the hunt for more food and supplies so they were planning on raiding the grocery store in town. The only problem was that the grocery store was already being looted. Daryl and Glenn stayed in the shadows and climbed into an office building across from the supermarket. After killing about five walkers in silence, they made their way to a third floor window and watched the odd conglomeration of the dead and the living.

A large covered wagons was parked on the street. It were the kind that would have been displayed in a museum to show what the early pioneers had used to travel in the olden days, with a white canopy over a rickety wagon. Daryl was fairly certain, however, that the pioneers did not use walkers to pull their wagons. Where horses should have been hooked to the wagons, there were about ten handless and jawless walkers attached. Most of them were nude and disfigured.

"That is sick," Glenn said as he and Daryl stared horrified at the scene.

"Very," Daryl agreed. Daryl had never liked the idea that walkers could be used by the living. He thought of the governor, who used them for entertainment and war, or even to Michonne and Andrea, who used them for camouflage or as pack horses. Daryl himself had been used enough in his life and he hated to think that he could be used in death. He frowned at the small horse trailer that was attached to the only fuel-powered vehicle (a truck) and couldn't help remembering when the governor smashed their fences and dropped of a trailer full of walkers in their yard. If these people were using dismembered walkers to pull their wagons, he imagined that they had no qualms about keeping intact walkers for whenever they needed a little extra back-up.

It was a group of about ten men, all armed to the teeth, who looted the grocery store. Six other heavily armed men guarded the wagon, but neither Glenn nor Daryl could see what was inside. They soon found out what was in there. Through the opened window, they heard the voices of two men who looked to be inspecting the condition of their work-walkers.

"Here's another one," a tall, muscular guy in black leather said, pointing to the feet of a female walker. They were a mangled mess, leaving to walker to walk on her ankles rather than her mangled, bloody feet. The man lunged forward with a machete, ending the walker. He unhooked her, cut deep into her torso, and discarded her to the side where three other dead walkers were already piled.

Another man, this one looking to be of Hispanic descent, pulled two women out of the guarded wagon and ordered, "Spread the guts on the wagon. Now! _Vamonos_!"

The women fearfully moved to the pile of bodies and began using their bare hands to smear the guts of the dead walkers onto the sides of the wagon. Two more men walked to the horse trailer and opened it, pulling four living people out of the wagon. All four were male and had their hands and feet bound together. The horse trailer was shut and then Glenn and Daryl watched in horror as all four men were impaled in the chest and then as their bodies were mutilated to replace those walkers that had been removed from the wagon. Then the macabre troupe moved out, heading towards the other side of Gaineswille to pillage more of the town. A woman from the wagon was chosen to walk out in front of the walkers to get them moving.

"Jesus Christ," Glenn struggled to breathe as he and Daryl made their way back to where they stashed their truck, "That was…they were…that…"

"That was the fuckin' sickest thing I ever saw," Daryl commented truthfully. He had never seen anything quite like that and he had never been more terrified, "We're gonna have to move out. We can't be livin' with that in our fuckin' backyard."

"It looked like they were headed west," Glenn said, "Just so long as we don't go that way, I'm in."

"Good thing they didn't fuckin' move south. They would see the signs for the storage units," Daryl grumbled, "Let's get back and get the fuck out of here."

0

"I thought you'd be out longer," Rick commented as he and Shane greeted Glenn and Daryl.

"We ran into some trouble," Glenn explained, "Another group."

"Sick fucks," Daryl added, "They use walkers to pull their wagons and if they need more, they have a damn horse trailer full of folks that they kill for more walkers."

"How many?" Rick demanded, going pale.

"Counted around fifteen men or so," Daryl replied, "Armed and dangerous."

"They looked to be heading west," Glenn supplied.

"Do you think they'll find the storage units?" Shane asked, his brow knitting in concern.

"It could happen," Glenn confirmed, "If there are signs around advertising for this place, they'd be fools not to go for it."

"Shit," Shane cursed.

"We're going to have to move," Rick directed, "Get everyone packed and up to speed. We don't want to get caught in a fight with these people."

Suddenly, there was a high-pitched howl coming from behind them. All four men glanced back, ready to react to danger, but it was the sound of an injured Paris Peletier followed by an angered shout from her brother.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Charlie Peletier raged, "HOW DARE YOU HIT PARIS?"

It was then that Daryl realized who Charlie was screaming at. Sophia cowered away from her enraged cousin, holding her wrist to her body. Daryl moved forward on pure instinct, ignoring as Rick swore about the confrontation to come.

"What are you screaming at, Charlie?" Carol demanded, flying out of the storage locker when she realized her child was in danger. She pulled Sophia to her and glared at the young man. Sophia looked terrified.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Charlie raged at Carol, "There's no way in hell my uncle would have a disobedient, violent little brat like that! You-"

Daryl had seized Charlie by the back of his jacket and threw him down to the ground, snarling, "Shut ya damn mouth and stay the fuck away from my family!"

Charlie glared up at him, "I bet this is your doing! Dumb, violent redneck corrupting my cousin!"

"Charlie, stop!" Rick ordered, getting in between the two men, "Tell us what happened!"

"Look at my sister!" Charlie demanded, and everyone turned to glance at Paris, who was howling as blood dripped from her nose through her hands, "Sophia hit her!"

Then all eyes turned to Sophia, who was still holding her hand and looked like she was about to cry. Carol looked stunned, but Daryl felt pride stir up a little inside him. Rick pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, get Hershel to take a look at her and get packed. We're moving out," Rick ordered, "We'll deal with this later, but we have to get moving!"

"I WANT TO SEE SOME PUNISHMENT-"

"And you'll get it," Shane assured Charlie, hauling him to his feet, "Take care of your sister, get packed, and let us handle it."

Charlie sulked away guiding Paris along with him. Daryl scowled at Rick.

"We ain't takin' the new ones with us," he growled.

"They're part of our group now, Daryl," Rick said, his voice bordering on impatience, "We don't have time for this now."

"We're gonna make time!" Daryl protested, "Ya seen how they act-"

"We also see how you and yours act," Shane commented, leaning against the wall, "You've been in more fights here than any of us."

"Stay the fuck outta this, Walsh!" Daryl snarled. Shane smirked and looked to Rick.

"Seems to me my gun was taken 'cause I was actin' like a hot-head and it was starting to threaten the survival of the group. I accepted that. Swallowed it," Shane reminded them, "Startin' to look like I ain't the only hot-head 'round here," he stated, looking over at Daryl.

"What the fuck are you on about?" Daryl demanded. Shane shrugged, seeming to fight off a smirk as he regarded Daryl.

"Rick, I hate to say it, but his attitude is going to cause trouble…could get someone killed," Shane said, gesturing to Daryl, "Might be time to consider a similar type of justice…you know, take away his weapons, check him, before he does something to hurt someone."

Daryl's blood ran hot in his veins as he realized that Shane was suggesting that Rick disarm Daryl. He was suggesting that Daryl was the threat.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Daryl spat, "I done more than anyone to keep this group safe and you're up my ass 'cause I'd rather not die in my sleep 'cause of the new fucks?"

Shane let out a small chuckle, "See, Rick, he's paranoid and that's gonna be trouble-"

"And if memory serves me right, Asshole, you lost your gun 'cause ya fuckin' shot me in the side of the head!" Daryl shouted.

"And I'd hate to see someone else get hurt because of his violent tendencies-"

"And what about your violent tendencies? Ya tried to kill me!" Daryl spat, ignoring the dangerous look in Shane's eyes for the moment.

"Worse still is the fact that his violent behaviour is rubbing off on the kids," Shane continued, glancing over to Sophia, "Rick, something needs to be done."

Rick scowled and sucked in through his teeth, looking between Shane and Daryl. His voice was low when he said, "We can't do this now. We have more important matters to deal with at the moment. We can sort this out after we hit the road."

"You're going to leave it?" Shane asked incredulously, "You're going to leave it alone until this asshole does something to jeopardize the group…maybe even Lori?"

"Shane, go pack," Rick ordered, waiting for Shane to obey before he said to Daryl, "You do the same."

Then the sheriff walked away to sort out his own family. Daryl stood there shaking in anger.

"Daryl, what's going on? Why are we packing?" Carol asked. Daryl fought to retain control, reminding himself that the bullshit with Shane and Rick didn't matter; Carol, Sophia, and Lily came first.

"Came across a large group. Sick as fuck. Best I can figure is they captured other groups and are turnin' 'em into walkers to pull their wagons. We need to get out of the area," Daryl explained, glancing at her and Sophia, "We need to pack our shit and go."

Carol nodded, understanding the reality of the threat and moved into the locker to begin throwing things into a pile. Daryl followed, directing Sophia to gather up blankets as he moved to help Carol sort their things.

"How long do we have?" Carol asked, lifting Lily out of her laundry basket and starting to strap the baby into the car-seat.

"Dunno," Daryl replied, "Sooner we get outta here, the better."

He started tossing Lily's bottles, clothes, and diapers into the basket before moving to toss his and Carol's clothes in as well.

"Are you in the RV or on the bike?" Carol asked.

"RV," Daryl answered, "Bike's on the truck. Too damn icy for it right now anyways."

"Good," Carol nodded, "You and I need to talk," she said. His stomach clenched automatically at the words, but then he relaxed slightly as she saw her eyes flicker to Sophia. He followed her gaze to where Sophia was struggling to fold the blankets with one hand. He moved towards her, quickly folding the blanket for her and then reaching for her hand.

"Let's see it, Slugger," he demanded. Sophia reluctantly placed her right hand into his outstretched one. Carol moved over to take a look as well. Sophia's hand was starting to swell, particularly around the thumb and a couple of her knuckles.

"Oh, Soph," Carol murmured as tears leaked out of Sophia's eyes.

"Shoulda taught ya how to punch proper," Daryl groaned, knowing that there was something broken in her hand.

"Is it broken?" Carol asked, concerned, "Should we get Hershel?"

"Somethin's busted in there," Daryl admitted, "We'll get Hershel to look at it in a bit, but for now, don't use it and hold it above your chest. Go sit down in the RV and I can set it for ya once we get packed. Ask Dale for some aspirin or somethin'."

"Ibuprofen works best for swelling," Carol suggested, gathering up an armful of blankets and the handle of the car-seat to take to the RV. Sophia followed while Daryl gathered up the last of their crap and took the laundry basket to the RV. Outside, it looked like Rick was having his own problems.

"It's safe here!" Derrick was protesting to Rick, "Out there, those things are waiting to eat us!"

"I understand, but these people could be worse than walkers," Rick tried to convince him.

"We nearly died out there," Charlie commented sourly.

"Derrick, Charlie, I promise you that nothing like that will happen with us," Rick vowed, "You and your group are safe with us. You have my word."

"We'll hold you to it," Charlie grumbled. Daryl shook his head. It would be a better idea to leave the new folks on their own if they wanted to stay so bloody bad. He carried his load onto the RV and pushed it under the table, where Sophia was sitting and holding her hand with a grimace.

"Here, _luchador_," Miguel said to the little fighter, passing her a couple Ibuprofen. Sophia popped them into her mouth and swallowed some water that Carol offered her.

"Let's see it," Daryl requested, sitting on the opposite side of the table. Sophia placed her hand on the table. It was still swollen and it was starting to bruise.

"It really hurts," Sophia whimpered.

"Amy's going to get Hershel to come take a look," Carol supplied, "While we wait for him, I think you ought to tell us why you punched your cousin, Young Lady."

Sophia grimaced and not just from the pain in her hand, "I'm sorry, Mom."

"What happened, Soph?" Carol asked, not letting her daughter escape with an apology, "We've talked about this, Honey. You can't let anything Paris says hurt you. If she says anything, you know that you're supposed to walk away and find an adult."

"But I'm sick of it!" Sophia cried, "I'm sick of her calling me a baby and saying all the stuff she says about you and Daryl! She never stops and no matter where I go, she's always there!"

"Soph, we told ya that we don't give a shit what she says 'bout us," Daryl reminded her.

"Honey, it shouldn't bother you-"

"Well it does!" Sophia shot back at them, tears streaming down her face, "All the things she says…it does bother me!"

Daryl was at a loss and he could see that Carol was too. Miguel saved the day.

"Maybe it's a good thing," the young man offered, "Now that brat knows not to mess with you, _Chica_."

"It's not okay to hit people," Carol reminded them.

"Ah, but _Mamacita_, I seem to remember you giving Officer Shane a good smack when he shot Daryl," Miguel reminded her, grinning playfully. Carol glared at the young man, but Daryl could tell her heart wasn't in it.

"Keep it up and I'll give you a good smack," Carol playfully threatened, gently shoving Miguel's arm. Amy, Dale, and Hershel then got into the RV. Dale went to bring the old girl to life. Daryl opted to get to his feet so Hershel could take his place at the table.

"It looks like I'll be riding with you all this time," Hershel said as he gently took Sophia's hand and examined it, "I don't think her knuckles are broken, but the thumb is. It'll be best if we set her whole hand."

Amy had already retrieved a first aid kit and Hershel was reaching for it in search of anything that could be of use. Sophia gave a little whimper as he reached for some tape.

"Just think, _Chica_," Miguel said, sitting down beside Sophia, "When all this is over, your hand will still look better than mine."

He showed off his own disfigured right hand, his souvenir from the group he had been a part of before meeting up with Daryl and Andrea. In truth, Daryl hadn't really paid too much mind to Miguel's injury. After a while, he just sort of forgot that Miguel had the injury, partly because Miguel had taken to wearing a black glove over it and partly because after a while, you just seem to forget that anything is out of the ordinary. Now, though, the glove was off and Daryl could see the scars from where an iron had been pressed to Miguel's hand. It had left his fingers badly scarred and basically useless, but thanks to some careful care from Hershel, the young man had been able to heal with minimal infection.

"And hey, you've got two hands," Amy pointed out, smiling brightly to reassure the girl. Amy's stump extended to just past her elbow. She tended to wear long sleeved shirts so that she could tie the end off for extra warmth.

"Christ, this group is hard on hands," Daryl commented gruffly as Dale shifted the RV into gear to follow the caravan out the gate.

"You don't know the half of it," Amy laughed, reaching over to ruffle Sophia's hair, "Next time, Slugger, you might want to aim somewhere else. That little brat's broken nose is going to heal faster than your busted hand."

Carol, content that Amy and Miguel were being more than enough to distract Sophia from thoughts of her injury, tapped Daryl on the shoulder and pointed to the back of the RV. He followed her and closed the screen, anticipating that talk Carol had promised him, and watched as she put Lily's car-seat in a more sturdy position.

"Sorry," he apologized, figuring that was his best course of action. Carol frowned up at him.

"Daryl, it's not your fault," she assured him, but then paused, "Wait, you didn't tell Sophia to hit Paris, did you?"

"What? No!" Daryl replied, "Told her the same thing ya did…even though it went against everythin' Merle tried to teach me when I was her age."

"And how did Merle's advice work out for you?" Carol wondered.

"Honestly? Not that fuckin' good," he admitted, "I was a scrawny thing growin' up. Anytime I tried finishin' shit, I got my sorry ass kicked up until I finally filled out a little."

Carol sighed and glanced towards the front of the RV, "That hand is going to give her more of a punishment than I could ever give her."

"When it heals, I'm gonna teach her to throw a proper punch," Daryl warned, "Ya gotta keep ya thumb out," he said, making a fist to show his point. Carol groaned.

"Can we fight more about that when the time comes?" she asked, "I think we need to talk about Rick and Shane…what they said."

Daryl groaned and flopped back on the bed beside her, saying, "Rick ain't gonna listen to that shit. I've never held anyone in my sights and I ain't never nearly killed nobody either. 'Sides, he disarms me and we all go hungry. Shane's just tryin' to make my life miserable."

"But what if he does disarm you?" Carol questioned nervously, "We both know that Shane's going to be getting his gun back soon and if you don't have your weapon-"

"Then I expect I ain't got much to worry 'bout seein' as you got yours," Daryl teased, "Ya could save me for a change."

"Daryl, I'm being serious," Carol deadpanned, leaning over him with her hand on his chest, "I love you and the thought that something could happen to you-"

"Hey," he chided, sitting up and clutching her hand over his heart, "Ain't nothin' is gonna happen to me. Ya ain't gettin' rid of me that easy."

"Daryl, I just have a bad feeling about all this," she admitted. He sighed and pulled her closer to him.

"Way I see it is we don't have to worry 'bout Rick takin' anythin', even with Shane whisperin' in his ear," Daryl reasoned, "See, Rick ain't gonna just disarm me and if he did, I reckon the rest of the group would have somethin' to say 'bout it. 'Sides, Rick'd give me a choice like he did Shane. He'd tell me to either turn over my weapons or leave. I certainly ain't walkin' 'round this apocalypse with nothin' to protect myself so I'd probably tell him that we'd be leavin'."

"The last time we talked about leaving the group, you said it was better for the girls if we stayed in the group. Safety in numbers," Carol reminded him.

"That's true," Daryl nodded, "but d'ya really think we'd be the only ones leavin' in that scenario?" he asked her, "Everyone knows better than to believe the shit Shane's sayin'. I betcha if we said something, Amy, Miguel, and Dale would be leavin' with us. Same with Jacqui and T. Maybe Glenn and the Greenes too. Just as much as we rely on the safety of the group, Rick and his family do too."

"If you're so sure about that, then why don't we just go?" Carol wondered, "If you think the rest of the group would follow us, than why not just leave?"

"'Cause I ain't a hundred percent sure if the group would follow us if we just up and left. None of us followed Morales when he took his family away," Daryl admitted, then thinking about his supernatural role in the past, "and despite it all, I'm still responsible for keepin' these people safe. If somethin' happened to them and I weren't there to help, it'd be my fault."

"So in other words we're walking a very thin line," Carol responded, leaning her head into the crook of his neck.

"Very thin one," he agreed, letting his thoughts wander to what would happen when the tightrope that they were walking finally snapped. He wouldn't be the only one to fall and his decision to stay could cause his family to plummet along with him. He then reached up and raised her chin so that her clear blue eyes locked with his.

"Hey, if ya ever think it's time to go, leave the group, ya just say the word and we'll go," he told her seriously.

"Really?" she asked, frowning.

"Absolutely," Daryl confirmed, "You're better with people than I am and I trust ya instincts 'bout 'em. If ya think it's in our best interests to leave, then we will. You, the girls, this family…ya'll come before the group every time."

Carol bit her lip and nodded, kissing him once on the lips and deciding, "We should stay as long as it makes sense to do so."

"Then we'll stay until it doesn't no more," Daryl decided, "Just remember that I'd follow ya anywhere, Woman. That's a promise," he vowed, his hand going to the ring he had put on her finger, the one that bound her to him and him to her.

**TBC**

**So the group is on the road again and Shane is up to some new tricks. The wagon group was the incentive to leave and I may bring them into play at some point again, but for now, they're heading out. I wanted to show some insight into why the folks at the prison avoid using walkers if they can help it.**

**On an unrelated note, two days later and I still feel like I've been punched in the gut on account of Carol's reveal at the end of 'Isolation'. Here's hoping she's covering for Lizzie. There is something not right with that kid.**

**Next chapter: To appease Shane, the group votes on whether or not to disarm Daryl. A revelation causes Dale to once again beg Daryl to share his secret with him.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	36. Sharing the Load

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. It is fantastic to read your thoughts!**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**Song for the Chapter: Lean on Me - Bill Withers**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

Song that goes with the chapter: I'll Follow You by Shinedown

**Chapter 35: Sharing the Load**

Carl, Sophia, Casey, Paris, Beth, Jimmy, and Lily were shut up in the various vehicles, very much excluded from the conversation at hand. Rick was standing in the middle of the large circle of fifteen adults.

"I never got a vote," Shane commented, leaning against his car, his eyes on Daryl.

"That's because you shot someone!" Amy snapped viciously, "Daryl hasn't done anything to anyone and you're suggesting that we disarm our strongest member!"

"Daryl's been involved in the majority of the fights around here and he's had several physical altercations with the new folks," Shane responded with a shrug, "He's a ticking time-bomb and I believe it's only a matter of time before he hurts somebody. I'm concerned for the safety of this group."

"Daryl has done more to keep this group safe than anyone-"

"Carol, forgive me if I'm wrong, but I reckon you're a little biased considering you agreed to marry the guy," Shane dismissed Carol's argument.

"Then how about I make that argument?" Jacqui shot at him, "You can't deny what he's done for Amy, Sophia, Lily, Rick, Carol-"

"And what about the barn? He was MIA then," Shane said, not realizing everybody present groaned as he brought up that old argument, "He's fought with me. He's the reason Lori was in that accident-"

"Lori got into that accident 'cause she couldn't wait a few hours for Rick, Hershel, and Glenn to get back!" Daryl protested.

"Then he beats the shit out of Randall-"

"Let's not forget who fuckin' killed Randall!" Daryl reminded him.

"He's also been in how many fights with Charlie. He was hostile to Derrick. He threatened to put Paris, a child, outside with the walkers," Shane recounted, "I don't think we can trust him with a weapon. Hell, look at the progress I've made without one."

"I've never used a weapon on anyone here," Daryl growled, "I've never shot nobody and I've never drawn a weapon on nobody. Rick's pointed his gun at me a couple times. Shane fuckin' shot me."

"We'll put it to a vote," Rick decided, repeating what he said earlier, "I want to see where everyone's head is at."

"So we're deciding if we should disarm Daryl?" Dale clarified, his voice incredulous, "Why would we put that to a vote? This is the man who protects us and provides for us."

"We all protect this group and we have others who can provide for us," Shane responded, "Derrick has said that he can hunt."

"We vote," Rick said firmly, "All in favour of disarming Daryl, raise your hands."

Four hands went up and Daryl wasn't the least bit surprised to see that Shane, Charlie, Derrick, and Erin wanted him to lay down his arms. Lori was looking between Shane and Rick, wondering what to do as her husband was not voting and as her closest ally was.

"Are you kidding me?" Shane demanded, "Daryl has proven that he doesn't care about anybody aside from his family! Hell, I'd bet he'd sacrifice any one of us for his niece. Think of your families! People you want to protect!"

Lori finally raised her hand. Five people wanted Daryl to give up his weapons. Though Daryl had expected the first four votes, the last one hurt seeing as how Daryl had went through hell for Lil' Asskicker in the future.

"Daryl keeps his weapons," Rick decided.

"This is insane," Shane griped.

"This is what's happening, Shane," Rick said, "The group decided."

Shane glared, "Alright. So why don't we talk about his influence on this group," he suggested, "You saw what Sophia did to Paris."

"Sophia did that because that little brat wouldn't leave her alone," Daryl snapped in defence of his kid.

"You know, she used to be such a nice kid," Shane goaded, "Ever since you got involved, she's been more hot-headed, callin' grown-ups assholes and punching other kids in the face."

Daryl felt Carol at his side, moving in front of him and glaring daggers at Shane.

"You keep my daughter out of this!" she snapped.

"You would think you would be a little more concerned about the influence that redneck has on my cousin!" Charlie snarled.

"That man is the reason your cousin is alive and he's a much better father to her than your uncle ever was!" Carol cried. Charlie made a move to step forward, but Rick fought to maintain order.

"Enough!" Rick shouted, "This is getting us nowhere! I am sick of this! Derrick, Charlie, Erin, and their siblings are part of our group now and whatever reservations people have, they need to swallow them. As for the newcomers, they need to remember that this group has accepted them and they need to show a little gratitude for it!"

T-Dog let out a whistle, cutting this meeting short. The group then noticed the herd coming their way and swiftly moved back to their vehicles. The caravan moved forward into what looked like an ice storm, a wonderful gift from the Georgia sky to close out December. Once again Daryl found himself in the RV with Dale, Miguel, Amy, Carol, Sophia, and Lily.

"That son-of-a-bitch!" Amy exploded as Dale eased the RV onto the road, "He had no right to even imply that you were dangerous!"

Daryl said nothing, just flopping down into the passenger's seat and listening to her vent. He had expected some kind of roadside gathering and he was not disappointed.

"What happened?" Sophia questioned, looking over at all of the adults in the room. Carol was cradling Lily to her after the baby reacted to Amy's expletive-filled rant and hesitated slightly to answer her daughter's question.

"Shane was throwin' accusations at your papa," Miguel answered truthfully, "Nothin' for you to worry about, _Chica_."

"Is everything okay?" Sophia wondered, looking between Carol and Daryl.

"Just fine, Rabbit," Daryl mumbled, "Ain't nothin' but a thing."

"Maybe Miguel and Amy will take you and Lily in the back to play cards or checkers or something," Carol suggested, very subtly hinting that she wished for Sophia to be distracted.

"Sure," Miguel grinned, "If the lovely ladies will accompany me to the back, I will whip their backsides at crazy eights."

Miguel then took the baby from Carol and led the way to the back. The nice thing about Miguel was that he was very easy-going, especially once he learned that he did not need to be on guard and impress people the way he had been forced to with the Vatos. He was always willing to entertain the kids with silly jokes and different games.

This left Daryl with Carol and Dale and he was well aware that they would be discussing the meeting.

"You know that isn't going to be the last time Shane pushes against you, Daryl," Dale said as he drove, "Even if the rest of us are on your side. I've been saying it all along; Shane has not let anything go. He's just been collecting cards under the table and biding his time before he slips them into his hand."

"Have you said anything to Rick about that?" Carol asked the old man, frowning as she put her hand on Daryl's shoulder to steady herself as the vehicle rolled down the road.

"Rick's been spending the last three months focused on rehabilitating Shane," Dale sighed, "Anytime anyone questions it, Rick is quick to defend Shane. He won't hear a word against him."

"That's the impression I got," Daryl agreed, "It's like he's got blinders on."

"Mmhmm," Carol made a noise between agreement and distaste, "Blinders named Lori Grimes," Carol muttered. Shane being alive complicated several other things aside from Rick and Daryl's friendship; it also put a noticeable strain on Lori and Carol's relationship. In the other timeline, with Shane dead and Rick distant, Lori had turned to Carol as her closest ally. They were both mothers, even if one of them had lost her child. Carol had been just as concerned for Carl and the baby, seeing the new life growing in Lori as a new hope for all of them. Now, there was obvious tension between the two women, mostly owing to the conflict between Carol's partner and Lori's ex-lover, but a good chunk of it came from Lori doing all she could to convince her husband to keep her other protector around.

"Lori is a big part of it," Dale allowed, "Her relationship with Rick and Shane is more than a little mindboggling right now. She's rarely outside of their company. If she's not with one, she's with the other."

"And that is Lori Grimes in a nutshell," Daryl grumbled.

"I can't believe she voted against you," Carol growled protectively.

Daryl snorted, "Won't pretend that felt good considering I feed her kids. Shane's fuckin' with everythin'."

Dale observed Daryl for a long moment, frowning as he mulled over the words. Then he presented a question, "What's going to happen if Shane continues on his campaign? Or worse, if he tries another attempt on Daryl's life? To make matters worse, he's been close to the newcomers, who are clearly not fond of you two."

"We have talked about that," Carol admitted with a sigh.

"If we have to, we'll take the kids and go," Daryl revealed to the old man.

"You'd leave?" Dale asked, blinking, "What about the group? You're both important members of the group! You have roles to play!"

"Nothin's set in stone yet," Daryl assured him, "We're still here for the group, but if it comes down to it, we ain't stayin' with people tryin' to hurt us."

"We've got our girls to think about," Carol added, "As much as we love the group, we have to think about them."

Dale nodded, but he looked mildly horrified at the thought of losing Daryl and Carol by their choice. Instead he focused on the road in silence. Daryl had the presence of mind to believe that this conversation was not over and that if he let himself be alone with Dale, he would be pulled into a very different conversation, perhaps one with more of Dale's theories.

The caravan pressed on into the night, a risky move, however winter gave them a new sort of lease on life. Walkers were slowed by the cold weather, either by their blood freezing or by the terrain in general. Ice caused havoc for the walkers, often creating amusing sights of the decayed bodies flopping uselessly on roadways like fish on land. If the caravan took it slow, they could safely make time in the dark. Daryl had switched Dale for the driving position and it hadn't taken long for Carol and the kids to succumb to exhaustion. Dale opted to stay up, waiting for that moment to catch Daryl alone.

"I understand why you're reluctant to tell me about whatever it is that you know," Dale whispered, surprising Daryl slightly when the older man finally spoke, "You're afraid that I'll reveal your secret. You're afraid that it will make you sound crazy."

Daryl opted to stay absolutely silent, steadfastly ignoring the declaration. Dale sighed.

"I've be patient, Son. I've given you your space and time, but now I need answers," he said, "If what you know could help the group, then it's your responsibility to help and since I know that you can help the group, then it's my responsibility to help you. If you're planning on leaving the group, you should tell me what you know so I can help. Share the load."

Daryl stayed silent, now gnawing on his thumb as he concentrated on the road. In truth, what Dale said made sense. If he and Carol left the group, it would be good for someone to have Daryl's knowledge.

"I don't have to tell anyone," Dale prodded, "Isn't there anything you would like to talk about? Get off your chest?"

In truth, there was a shitload of stuff Daryl would like to get off his chest. He would like to admit that he missed his treks into the dream world because he missed his big brother. He would like to say that he was on edge most of the time because he was terrified that he would fuck something up. He wanted to vent on the changing dynamics of the group with the new additions and even lament on his lost friendship with Rick. He wanted to say that he was damn scared because all of these changes would surely change the course of the future and his way forward was no longer certain. He wasn't entirely sure how to get it back on track, either.

"Dixons don't talk," Daryl growled, contrary to his inner desire to unload all of his burdens.

"Then how about we compromise?" Dale suggested, "I'll talk and you shake or nod your head."

Daryl shrugged, signalling the start of a very weird conversation.

"Was I right before when I said that you know what's going to happen and you're trying to change it?" Dale tried out his first question, anxiously watching Daryl's silhouette in the darkened vehicle.

After a long, tense moment, Daryl bowed his head, nodding in confirmation.

"And you've already changed some things, haven't you, Son?" Dale wondered.

Daryl nodded again.

"Was I supposed to die?" Dale asked.

Daryl nodded.

"Was Amy? Sophia?"

Daryl nodded twice.

"Shane?" Dale asked softly.

Daryl glanced over at him and nodded.

"So he's not supposed to be alive," Dale commented, "I suppose that's causing more problems for you than just the obvious ones."

Daryl nodded to both counts. Dale was silent for a moment, choosing his next question.

"Did Andrea survive that night on the farm?"

Daryl nodded his head. Dale let out a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief. No wonder you seemed so sure when you were consoling Amy that night after the farm," he stated, "Will we see her again?"

Daryl bit his lip, considering it. In the original timeline, they would, but now everything was so fucked up. He spoke for the first time, telling Dale as much, "Everythin's fucked up now. Shane and them new ones…we weren't ever supposed to run into 'em."

"What was supposed to happen?" Dale wondered, apparently abandoning his 'yes or no' questions in favour of something that would get Daryl to talk. Daryl was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"You was supposed to die the night we had that meetin' 'bout Randall. Jimmy, Shane, and Patricia were all supposed to die the night the farm got overrun. Rick was supposed to lead us around for eight months. These past three have been a hell of a lot easier than they were supposed to be," Daryl explained in a low voice, mindful of those sleeping in the back, "We didn't have the RV; it burned up on the farm. We also didn't get to the storage units 'til about February. We was never supposed to run into them new ones."

Dale frowned, observing, "You talk like you've lived it all before."

"I have," Daryl confirmed grimly, his hands tense on the wheel.

"What happened?" Dale asked, fascinated.

"Wish I knew," Daryl admitted, "One minute I was three years into the future. The next, I was back at the quarry starin' at a bunch of people I knew to be dead. Beats the ever livin' fuck outta me."

"So you found yourself back in the quarry and decided to save us?" Dale asked, "That's a really noble thing-"

"Was selfish at first," Daryl corrected, thinking back, "At the beginnin', I fucked up a lot. Couldn't get to Merle in time. Couldn't warn the Vatos. Got there too late to keep Amy from bein' bit. Couldn't save Jim," Daryl listed before he spat, "and Ed Peletier lived three more days to torment his wife and daughter."

"Not everything was in your control," Dale offered, "You're only human and there's only so much we humans can impose on the universe. Believe me, I know."

Daryl grunted. Dale smiled reassuringly and patted Daryl on the back, causing the younger man to flinch slightly.

"Son, the way I see it is that you've got nothing to be ashamed about. You did the best with what you knew. You saved Amy's life. How did you know to amputate?" Dale wondered, steering the topic away from Daryl's regrets from the early days.

"Hershel was bit on the leg. Rick amputated it and the old man made a full recovery. Even rigged himself a metal leg," Daryl chuckled, "That old bastard'll outlive us all."

Dale smiled now, clearly pleased with Daryl's better mood and asked another question in hopes of keeping with Daryl's good mood, "You and Carol…how long have you two been together?"

Daryl shifted uncomfortably, "About a year," he responded shortly. Dale frowned and seemed to realize that talk of Carol's future was going to lead them into some swampy territory.

"What about Lily? You seem good with her," Dale tried. Daryl sighed.

"She was another one that weren't supposed to make it. Before all this I never knew she existed," he answered.

"Then how did you know to find her?" Dale asked, his brow furrowed.

"I have dreams," Daryl confessed, "Merle…he's been givin' me advice, kinda like an off kilter guardian angel or some shit. He told me to go to Barksdale."

Daryl wasn't about to admit that future Carol was also in those dreams. That was his own secret.

"That's really incredible," Dale breathed, "What else does he say?"

Daryl scoffed, "Honestly? Mostly he gives me shit for one thing or another. 'Cept now the dreams have stopped. In the last one, he told me that my way wasn't clear no more. Said that all these changes are makin' it hard for him to give me advice."

Dale nodded, accepting that fact, and asked, "Do you ever see him again…in real life?"

Daryl nodded in the affirmative, "Dumb bastard's holed up in a town with one dangerous fuck. If things go right, I'll see him in a few months."

"Why not now? Why not go to him if you know where he is?" Dale asked. Daryl frowned and considered leading the group to Woodbury. They could play happy town, but what happened when they all started drinking the Governor's koolaid? He couldn't imagine the shit they'd be in if Shane and Phillip joined forces.

"If we go to that town, we'd all be in danger," Daryl replied grimly, chuckling, "Shane…Shane's small time compared to the Governor."

"The Governor?" Dale repeated, his eyebrow's shooting up in amusement.

"The guy that runs the town," Daryl answered, "He's sick. Kills other groups, military, and takes their supplies. Keeps walker heads in jars next to his walker daughter. He even killed his own people in cold blood. He…" Daryl broke off, stealing himself, "He killed Merle. Andrea too."

"Andrea's dead?" Dale asked, his grin fading.

"She will be if she runs into him and stays in the town," Daryl sighed, willing the image of his dying friend from his mind.

"Why'd you let her go then?" Dale wondered, "If she's going to die-"

"She had to go off on her own," Daryl cut across him, "See, she's gonna meet someone…a good friend…out in the forest. Woman named Michonne. She's a hell of a fighter and someone we want on our side."

"But if Andrea dies…"

"If things work out right, maybe she won't," Daryl said, rubbing his eyes, "Hell, you and Amy might be the key to savin' her. Last time she was so hell-bent on savin' us all, our group and the Governor's town. She was tryin' to keep a war from breakin' out. The Governor was fixin' to attack us and when she tried to warn us, he caught her. He cuffed her to a chair and put her in a room with a walker. She fought it off, but she got bit. By the time Rick, Michonne, and I got there, she was dyin'."

"And how do we stop that?" Dale asked, heartbroken at the thought of someone he loved dying that way.

"We move forward," Daryl answered, "We do our damndest to be in the right spot at the right time and hope like hell that we can do something to change it."

"Is that what you do?" Dale wondered. Daryl nodded.

"Yeah. That's what I do," he said, "It's all I can do."

"I'll help you, Son," Dale offered, "And this…your secret is safe with me."

0

It was almost like an imaginary weight had lifted from Daryl's shoulders after he unburdened himself on Dale. Of course, Daryl still shouldered the brunt of it, but at the same time, it was kind of nice being able to speak about it. Of course, there were some things that Daryl refused to share with the older man. Carol was one of those things, mostly because out of all of the deaths he had suffered, that one hit him the hardest. He had enough trouble controlling himself just thinking about that day in the future. Talking about it was out of the question. He did talk a little bit about her, though they were innocent stories, like the time that she had charged him with babysitting Lil' Asskicker or how she was a walker-killing machine. He also skimmed over details of Rick's breakdown following Lori's death, figuring he didn't need to fuel anymore distrust for Rick. Then, of course, there was the incident with the illness that swept the prison that he just preferred not to think about.

Dale assured Daryl that he would not break his word. The older man understood the importance of keeping silent as a means of protecting the group and protecting Daryl. One of Daryl's biggest fears was that when this was all over, he would be charged with blame for those he couldn't save. Dale understood that not everyone would be as sympathetic to Daryl's plight and recognized what a burden future knowledge was. Though Daryl skimmed over specifics, Dale still had a working knowledge of the future and had realized from Daryl's own cautionary tales about Ed, the storage units, and Shane that changing the future could be risky business and it was best that the others remain in the dark.

Through confiding in Dale, though, Daryl felt a little less terrified about the unknown direction his course would take. Of course he was still wary of the newcomers and any changes to his direction, but he felt more equipped to handle it.

Or so he thought.

He had no idea that one week from now, disaster would strike the group and that two weeks after that, his entire world would be blown apart.

**TBC**

**So Shane is an asshole and he will continue to be one in the coming chapters. At least Dale has Daryl's back :)**

**Next chapter: A fatal error leaves the group to deal with more than just a dead body.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	37. Disaster

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. It is fantastic to read your thoughts!**

**Warning: Death ahead.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**Song for the Chapter: Everybody Learns From Disaster - Dashboard Confessional**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

**Chapter 36: Disaster**

It had been one week since the group left the storage units. It started out innocently enough. The exhausted group had settled at another farm house, this time one that Daryl failed to remember staying at before in the other timeline. This one was chosen by Rick, liking that the thick brush provided them with a shelterbelt to protect them from walkers and the relentless ice storm that caught them on the road.

Daryl, Glenn, Rick, and T-Dog quickly cleared the house and moved the entire group inside as fast as possible. Twenty-three people crammed into the living room where Rick announced that they would stay here until the storm let out. Shane, Charlie, and Derrick were charged with gathering wood for a fire as rooms were divided. Dale, Hershel, Lori, Amy, and Lily were considered the most vulnerable to the cold and were encouraged to take the living room with the fireplace. Lori had ushered Carl inside with her while Daryl insisted that Carol and Sophia enjoy the warmth with Lily. Daryl set up camp in an office opposite to the living room with T-Dog, Jacqui, Miguel, and Rick.

Daryl had found his spot on the floor and laid there for about three minutes before all hell broke loose.

Screams ripped through the house and Daryl was on his feet in an instant, barrelling up the stairs with Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn. Maggie, Beth, and Jimmy had come out of their room and ran with the four men into the bedroom at the end of the hall towards the screams.

Inside, they found Casey and Paris pressed to the far wall, screaming as a walker tore into Erin's throat. Daryl put a bolt through the walker's head and it slumped forward. Rick lunged forward, pulling the walker off of Erin, who was still alive, shaking as she struggled to breathe. Her brown eyes were wide with panic.

"ERIN!" the two girls screamed, rushing forward only to be stopped by Beth and Maggie. Casey was howling, fighting Beth and crying for her sister.

"What the hell happened?" Rick demanded, his face torn up as he looked down at the dying girl.

"This room was clear," T-dog whispered in shock. Daryl glanced up at his friend and then around the room. He noticed the closet door was opened and bloodstained. Therefore it came as no surprise when Paris spoke.

"It came from the closet!" she sobbed. The closet, obviously not checked in their haste to get into the house, had housed a walker. Daryl watched as the dying girl stilled in Rick's arms. She was gone. Erin Douglas died.

"Erin? Erin!" Casey cried, collapsing to the floor with Beth, sobbing into the older girl. Rick bowed his head and unsheathed his knife, ensuring that Erin would not turn.

"Go back through and check the closets," the law man ordered before heading to the door. Glenn and T-Dog looked ill. They had been charged with clearing the upstairs rooms and they had missed the walker trapped in the closet. Daryl sighed and moved to follow Rick out into the hall.

"I've got to tell Charlie and Derrick," Rick sighed, burying his hands in his hair, "That's not going to go well."

"Not at all," Daryl agreed, "They don't have guns do they? That could get bad."

"Derrick has a piece," Rick confirmed, "but I don't think he's the one we need to worry about."

Rick let out a breath and then moved down the stairs. Daryl followed, stopping in the entry way while Rick hurried out the door, moving towards three figures crossing the yard with their arms full of firewood.

"Daryl?" Carol questioned as the others moved towards him.

"There was a walker in the closet upstairs. It got Erin," he explained. He was met with a collective gasp.

"Didn't you clear it?" Lori demanded, pushing past him to run after her husband, "You were supposed to clear it!"

Daryl grimaced at the blame in her tone.

"Daryl, what happened?" Jacqui wondered.

He sighed, "When we cleared the house, we split up. Rick and I did the downstairs and Glenn and T did up. They must not have checked the closets."

"Oh no," Jacqui murmured, heading upstairs to see T-Dog, knowing that his mistake would haunt him.

"What about the two girls?" Hershel asked, his old face somber under the beginnings of that thick white beard.

"They're both safe, but they saw it all," Daryl replied, "Beth and Maggie are with 'em."

"Will Erin turn?" Dale wanted to know.

"Nah. Rick took care of that," Daryl answered. He glanced towards the window, watching as Rick gave the news to Charlie. The young man dropped his load of wood and ran for the house. Derrick followed suit, chasing after his friend.

"ERIN!" Charlie bellowed as he and Derrick ran for the stairs. Daryl winced and noticed that outside, Shane and Rick were having a heated conversation while Lori stood to the side. He wondered if he ought to go outside to see what it was about, but then all three turned to come back inside.

"This is gonna be bad," Daryl muttered and at Dale's inquiring glance, he shook his head, indicating that Daryl's statement wasn't a product of future knowledge. Future knowledge wasn't doing them much good right now anyways. Shane immediately rounded on Daryl.

"Who cleared the upstairs?" he snarled. Daryl said nothing and looked to Rick.

"T-Dog and Glenn did it," Rick answered grimly, "Shane-"

"Dammit, Rick!" Shane yelled, turning back to his former partner, "You let the rookies clear the house! It isn't just about walking through and looking at the furniture and high ceilings; it's like it was when we were searching houses for criminals. You can't leave any door closed!"

"I know that, Shane!" Rick argued back.

"NO!" Charlie's scream echoed through the house, making everyone all too aware of the damage done.

"I don't think you do, Man," Shane growled, "If you did, that room would have been cleared proper and Erin would still be alive!"

"We'll train better," Rick suggested, "We'll show everyone how to clear houses properly-"

"You should've been showing 'em from the beginning!" Shane shot at him, "Or hell, maybe ya oughta give me my damn gun so I can clear this place right!"

"Shane, calm down," Lori chided the hotheaded former cop, "Yelling isn't going to help-"

There was a loud crash from upstairs followed by shouts and screams. Daryl was running for the stairs again, this time coming to the room to find T-Dog pinned to the wall be an enraged Charlie. Glenn, Jimmy, Jacqui, and Maggie were trying to separate the men while Beth tried to console the two girls. Derrick was frozen, watching the fight in horror as a sheet fell from his hands onto Erin's body.

Daryl reacted, cutting between Charlie and T-Dog and breaking them apart. Rick grabbed Charlie around the shoulders as the young man howled in rage and agony.

"YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED TO KEEP US SAFE!"

He collapsed to his knees, beating the floor with his fists.

"Daryl, take the others downstairs," Rick directed. Daryl didn't need to be told twice. He had seen what grief could drive people to do and the last thing he wanted was for someone innocent to get caught in the crossfire of Charlie Peletier's grief. Jacqui, T-Dog, Beth, Jimmy, Glenn, and Maggie willing followed Daryl out of the room. Derrick, Paris, and Casey stayed with Rick, Shane, Charlie, and Erin's dead body.

Daryl took his group of people downstairs and sat them down in the living room with the others. Hershel and Dale had gone out to collect the discarded firewood and were in the process of making a fire for warmth.

"What happened?" Lori demanded, coming up to Daryl.

"Charlie attacked T-Dog-"

"He had every right to," T-Dog said numbly, slumped on the floor and staring down at his hands, "I didn't check the closet. It was my fault."

Jacqui was there for him, whispering words of reassurance as she rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

"It was an accident," Daryl sighed, "We'll know more for next time."

"But what about this time?" Lori questioned, "Erin is dead!"

"There's not much we can do about this time, Lori," Dale said gently, "We can't bring her back, but we can plan to make sure this doesn't happen in the future."

That was all they could do. Everybody learns from disaster, after all. Disaster was the reason that Daryl refused to let those he loved out of his sight and the reason that he now always glanced to the roof of whatever building they were looting. Unfortunately, disasters like Erin's were how they learned to better survive their world. They were a necessary evil.

0

Out of courtesy for Charlie, Derrick, Casey, and Paris, the men braved the cold wind and rain and toiled away to dig a grave for Erin outside. It was nowhere near as deep as it should have been, but the ground was hard and the cold forced them to abandon their work. A short funeral was held and then everyone returned to the warmth inside the house. Charlie and Derrick retired into the dining room with the two girls. Derrick was attentive, keeping tabs of Charlie and Casey. Charlie had gotten quiet after his outburst upstairs, consoling Paris as the girl cried into him. Casey seemed to have gone into a state of shock over her sister's death and Hershel was asked to give her some precious medicine to ease her suffering.

The rest of the group was told to go to sleep and that a discussion would be taking place in the morning. No one ventured upstairs. More people crammed into the living room or into the home office.

Daryl had decided that he would take watch. If they moved on in the morning, he could not ride his motorcycle on account of the ice so he'd be stuck in the RV all day. He set himself up in a chair near the door and every so often, he would bundle up and do a quick perimeter check outside. There was little to fear from walkers. The cold confused them.

To him, Erin's death posed little significance, as callous as it was to say. He had rarely interacted with the girl, only speaking 'thank you' whenever she helped pass out food. She mostly kept to her own group, caring for her younger sister and catering to Charlie, Derrick, and Paris. To them, her death must have made them feel as though part of their world died. He understood that feeling. He had experienced enough death to understand the agony of seeing someone you love torn from your life. He felt bad for Casey who had witnessed her sister being mauled to death. As much as it hurt to have to put Merle down, Daryl still would rather do that then actually witness Merle's death and not be able to stop it. When he returned to the front of the house, he heard voices in the entry way. Shane and Lori. Again.

"I just feel so horrible for them," Lori was saying, "It was our fault that they lost Casey."

"It wasn't our fault," Shane told her, sounding less than pleased, "It was Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn's fault."

"Shane, that's not fair," Lori admonished.

"And why the hell not?" Shane wondered, "They were the ones that didn't clear the house right."

"Shane, you're assigning blame," Lori told him, "We all could have said something before, but we didn't."

"Lori, facts are facts," Shane said matter-of-factly, "Rick lead that group in there without explaining how to do things right. T-Dog and Glenn didn't check the closet."

"And Daryl?" Lori asked, "You blamed him before."

"Daryl is a pain in the ass, but I will admit that he seems competent enough and he should've realized that they ought to have been searching every nook and cranny," Shane blamed, "The four of them…they screwed up."

Daryl growled in response and resisted the urge to go inside and make Shane rue the day that he cast blame on him and his brothers. That would just end poorly.

"Shane…"

"I keep thinkin'…wonderin' what would have happened if one of the kids opened the door," Shane admitted, "Or Maggie or Beth. Or you."

"I was downstairs with Carl-"

"But you could've just as easily been upstairs," Shane cut across her, "It could have been you and I don't know if I could've took that."

"Shane, we've talked about this," Lori sighed, though her heart didn't seem in it.

"Lori, don't tell me not to care about you," Shane pleaded, "You're the only one here who is on my side and I'm always on yours. I told you this, remember? I told you that I'm always going to be there for you no matter what's going on."

"I know that, Shane, and I appreciate it so much," Lori told him, sounding a little teary, "but you and Rick were doing so good and now, if you blame them, things will go back to the way they were on the farm and I don't want that, Shane."

"So what am I supposed to do, Lori?" Shane demanded, "Swallow it like it means nothing that they were careless? They screwed up. Their actions put us all in danger and killed one of our own. I can't just forget it or the fact that Rick is…well…he's slipping.

"Slipping?" Lori questioned, "One accident doesn't make or break someone, Shane. It didn't make or break you."

"But there's so many things…maybe it's just all piling up…I don't think he's fit to lead this group," Shane decided.

"Shane, don't say things like that," Lori pleaded.

"It might be true," Shane whispered, "He screwed up today, yeah, but he's also made so many other decisions that don't make sense. Leaving Daryl with his weapon, for example, or not clearing the house."

"I'm sure Rick had his reasons. We just have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

"Lori, I…I don't know if I can," Shane admitted softly.

"Shane?" she questioned, breathless at his admission.

Shane let out a long sigh and said, "These past couple months have been so strange," Shane told her, "I keep…I keep having these dreams and they've tapered off some, but they make me wonder if maybe they're trying to tell me something."

"What kind of dreams?" Lori asked curiously.

"That Rick kills me," Shane whispered, conveniently leaving out the part where he had tried to kill Rick first, "They freaked me out at first. I didn't want us to come to a confrontation like that so I tried to sort it out…act better. Used my head more. Lori, I loved that man like he was my brother and I recognized that I hadn't been acting very brotherly on the farm so I tried to turn over a new leaf-"

"And you have!" Lori defended him, "Shane, you have been doing so much better-"

"But look at what me being on the sidelines did," Shane muttered, "Erin's dead because I didn't say anything. I didn't speak out against him before when it could've made a difference. What if I stay quiet now and he makes a decision that kills one of us? You? Carl? The baby? How could I live with myself then?"

"But Shane, if you cause trouble, they'll kick you out," Lori voiced, obviously worried about his fate, "Please, Shane. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," he promised, "You won't."

Then there was silence, leaving Daryl to wonder if Shane and Lori had left. He was about to make himself known when a third voice entered the conversation.

"What's going on?" Rick asked, accusation in his tone.

"Was just checking on Charlie and the others," Shane mumbled, "Night all."

There was silence after Rick and Lori bid their goodnights to Shane. Daryl wondered if they were waiting for Shane to leave. A moment later, it was clear that Daryl's hunch was correct.

"Are you gonna tell me what that was or are you going to leave me guessing?" Rick demanded, his voice low as a courtesy to those still asleep in the next rooms.

"I got up to use the bathroom and ran into Shane on his way back from checking on Charlie and the others," Lori replied innocently, like she wasn't patiently listening to Shane blame her husband for Erin's death and question his leadership. Daryl wondered if she'd admit it to Rick.

"Got to talking, then?" Rick asked, "Hugging?"

Now Daryl knew why Rick had accusation on his tongue and admired the man's restraint. If Daryl had walked in on one of Carol's ex-lovers hugging all over her, he would've busted the fucker's jaw.

"Rick, don't do that," Lori pleaded, sounding a little annoyed, "We were talking about Erin and he gave me a hug. He was comforting me."

There was another moment of silence before Rick spoke again, hurt now colouring his tone along with the accusation, "Like he did when you thought I was dead?" he asked softly.

"Rick, don't!" Lori hissed in the darkness, "Shane and I are just friends. You are my husband, father of my child, and I love you and only you! Shane and I were just talking."

Daryl wondered who she was trying to convince, her or Rick?

"Children," Rick corrected.

"What?" Lori asked, confused. When Rick explained himself, his voice was laced with pain. He sounded as if she had dug a knife into his heart.

"You said I'm the father of your child," Rick clarified, "as in I'm the father of one child."

"Rick, you know what I meant!" Lori whispered, "Carl is the only one of our children that is here and alive-"

"And you don't think the baby's going to make it?" Rick demanded in a whisper, "So you're just writing it off again? Or are you flat out saying that it isn't mine?"

"How can you say that?" Lori shot at him, trying to keep her voice low, and hissed, "I've told you since the day I found out that I was pregnant that this baby is yours no matter what!"

"For how long?" Rick snapped, "What happens when it's born? What happens when you decide that this baby looks more like Shane than me?"

"Are you suggesting that I'd leave you for Shane?" Lori accused, making minimal effort to muffle her outrage, "Do you realize how paranoid you sound right now?"

"Don't I have a right to be?" Rick wondered angrily, "For the last three months, all I've heard is how Shane is such an asset to the group, how he's a protector, how we need him, and now I wake up and find you in his arms in the middle of the night!"

"Rick, I explained that and we do need him around-"

"So he can protect you?" Rick asked, hurt dripping from every syllable, "You say you love me, but you need him around to keep you safe, right? You don't think I can protect you, is that it?"

"Of course not!" Lori protested against the counts that Rick accused her of, "Rick, you can't believe that! You can't-"

A loud thumping noise interrupted the fight.

"Sophia?" Lori asked, "What are you doing up, Sweetie?"

"I have to go to the bathroom," Sophia whispered softly.

"Alright, Honey, go ahead," Lori encouraged. Then there was silence. Daryl waited a minute or two before deciding that it was really too damn cold for him to stay outside any longer. He moved swiftly and quietly through the front door and found Rick and Lori in the foyer, glaring at each other.

"Sophia's using the bathroom," Rick supplied before heading back to the office without a word to his wife. Lori huffed as he went and swept wordlessly back to the living room. Daryl settled on the steps and waited. Sophia emerged from the bathroom a moment later and crept back towards the living room.

"Ya should really wake ya ma if ya need to use the bathroom," Daryl commented softly. Sophia paused by the banister and looked up at him.

"I thought you were out here so I was okay," she whispered, looking a little chastised, "And then I heard Rick and Lori were up, so I thought I could go…"

"Ya heard 'em huh?" Daryl chuckled dryly.

"I woke up when Shane went back to sleep," Sophia admitted, slowly creeping up to sit beside him on the stairs, "Can I ask you something?"

Daryl was a little apprehensive, knowing that there was a whole host of things that his girl could ask, but as always, he nodded, "Shoot."

"Why would Lori's baby look like Shane?" she wondered. Daryl winced, thankful that Sophia didn't have a clear read on his face in the dark.

"Ah…don't know if I should be tellin' ya that, Soph. It's more grown-up stuff," he muttered uneasily. He could make out a pout in the pale light.

"I'm almost thirteen, Daryl," Sophia reminded him, "I will be in a week. I can handle grown-up stuff," she said earnestly.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders and relented, "Guess Shane could be the baby's daddy."

"How?" Sophia asked, unknowingly pushing Daryl far beyond his breaking point where talks with young girls were concerned, "Did Shane have you know…with Carl's mom?"

"'You know'?" Daryl repeated apprehensively.

"Sex," Sophia clarified in an embarrassed whisper.

Daryl felt like all the air left his sails. His girl, his innocent little kid who still slept with that raggedy old doll sometimes, just used the word 'sex', "What…where…how…what do you know 'bout sex?" Daryl spluttered.

"Mom told me a bit," Sophia said quietly, like she was as embarrassed as Daryl was with the subject, "She said that's how people make babies."

"Maybe ya better talk to ya mom 'bout this," Daryl replied uncomfortably, "This ain't a guy thing."

"Okay," Sophia agreed, but she still sat beside Daryl, "but Shane or Rick could be the baby's dad?"

Daryl nodded his head, sure that she could see the movement in the dark.

"So that's why they're all fighting?" Sophia pressed on, "Because they both want the baby?"

"Yeah, in a nutshell," Daryl admitted, thankful that Sophia left talk about sex behind. She was quiet for a moment, contemplating another question.

"Then how come Lori told Carl's dad that the baby was his no matter what?" she finally asked. Daryl shrugged, figuring he could answer that one without too much embarrassment.

"'Cause she's married to him and that even if he didn't uh…make the kid, he'll still get to take care of it and raise it and stuff," Daryl replied.

"Carl's dad sure didn't sound like he believed her," Sophia commented.

"Nah, I reckon he didn't," Daryl agreed, leaning back onto the steps. They were quiet for a few minutes more. Daryl was hardly surprised when she said his name again.

"Daryl?"

He grunted in response.

"Would Lori's baby call Rick its dad?" she asked.

"Reckon so," Daryl answered, thinking that it was an odd question, but it was better than sex questions.

"So even if Rick didn't make the baby, he's still gonna take care of it and raise it and stuff and it's gonna call him 'Dad'?" Sophia clarified.

"Yep," Daryl grunted in reply, frowning in the dark and wondering why Sophia was fixated on that point, "What's goin' on in that head of yours, Rabbit?"

"It's kinda like me and you, right?" she whispered after a moment, "You didn't make me, but you take care of me and stuff and you're marrying my mom."

He could see the parallel now that she drew it out for him and he wondered then if he knew what she was getting at. He gave her another minute to get the words out.

"Can I call you 'Dad'?" she asked. He had been right about the direction of their conversation, but it still caught him off guard a little. He shrugged.

"If ya want," he told her, trying to play it cool when he was really ready to split into the biggest grin of his life at the idea of her wanting to call him her father, "Don't really matter what ya call me, Kid."

She nodded.

"Daryl?" she questioned in the dark. His heart, which had been up by his throat, seemed to drop as she used his given name again.

"Yeah?" he croaked, his voice a little hoarse over the lump in his throat.

"I want to call you 'Dad'," Sophia told him matter-of-factly. As quickly as his heart dropped, the damn thing jumped right up again. It was then that he realized just how much power this twelve-almost-thirteen-year-old girl had over him. He was completely screwed.

"Then go ahead," he mumbled, giving her permission to call him a name aside from his own.

"Okay. Goodnight…Dad," Sophia whispered, getting to her feet and moving back towards the living room.

"G'night, Sophia," Daryl responded softly, smiling in the dark. Though he had been helping Carol raise the girl since Hershel's farm and though he had already claimed Sophia as his own kid, there was something about hearing her call him 'Dad' that made it all real and official. Daryl Dixon was officially a father and for the first time, he thought about what that meant. It both thrilled and terrified him in ways that he couldn't begin to describe. Sophia was accepting him as part of her life, trusting him to keep her and her mother safe and happy. It seemed almost laughable that a child would want him as a father considering his own upbringing, but if Sophia wanted him to be her dad, then he would strive to be a better one than the man who raised him and a better one than the man who had thrown away the chance to raise her. For Sophia, his daughter, he would try.

Maybe the death of Erin and Rick and Lori's fighting was good for something. After all, no matter how shitty a situation is, something good can always come out of disaster.

**TBC**

**Maybe keep that last line in mind. It now applies both to the upcoming chapters of this fanfic and the current blow from the latest episode of the Walking Dead. Is it wrong that I've changed my plans slightly with this fic so that I can give Rick a few good punches to the face?**

**Next chapter: As the group moves forward, distrust and unease begin to settle over everyone.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	38. Tensions Rise

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. It is fantastic to read your thoughts! Song was chosen on account of the Lori/Rick/Shane triangle.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**Song for the Chapter: My World - SR-71**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

**Chapter 37: Tensions Rise**

It had not taken Sophia long to let everyone know that she now considered Daryl her father. She was helping pass out breakfast and handed him a helping of some canned mush and a cup of instant coffee with a grin and chirped, "Good Morning, Dad."

"Mornin', Soph," Daryl responded back with a small grin on his face. They received some curious glances, but no one commented on that first instance, most already accepting his role in the girl's life. It soon became apparent that she would not waste an opportunity to call him 'Dad', ending every sentence with the word. Each time she said it, Daryl couldn't help the smirk that played on his face. He knew that Carol noticed it and by the small smile on her lips, he knew that she was receptive to the idea of him being considered as her daughter's father. Once she was finished helping with breakfast, she approached him balancing Lily and a plate of food.

"Here, hold her while I eat," Carol requested, passing off the baby to him so that she could sit and eat without the three-month-old batting at her fork. Despite all the running around that they did, Lily was as healthy as a horse according to Hershel, demonstrating good growth and achieving normal developmental milestones. She could sit up now if she was propped up against someone's chest and glanced around with some kind of baby interest at her surroundings. She was plump, the only member of the group who could be considered well-fed. She did not have to share her formula with anyone and while at the storage units, they were able to venture into Gainesville, before they got run out, and they collected several bags and canisters of infant formula. They were also well-stocked on diapers. Carol always made sure that Lily was tightly bundled against the cold and so far they had been fortunate as the baby only developed a slight cold, but was able to fight it off. Hershel was seriously suggesting that they make a run for a hospital soon so that they could find some infant vaccinations.

"So, Dad, what brought this on?" Carol wondered between mouthfuls. Daryl smiled and leaned back so Lily could recline against him.

"Said she wanted to start callin' me that," he shrugged.

"And I'm guessing that you're okay with it considering that you look prouder than a peacock every time she says it," Carol observed, smiling back at him.

"What can I say?" he shrugged again, this time chuckling a little when Lily grunted in protest, "I like it when our kid calls me 'Dad'. That okay?"

"That's just fine," she replied, leaning over to peck him on the cheek. It was really strange how content he felt the day after a death. Usually, he felt on edge or at least out of sorts. He couldn't help but remember the day after a failed run.

_Daryl took it upon himself to fix the cross, standing at the workbench outside and hammering a nail into the wood._

_"Daryl?"_

_He looked up and noticed Carol standing near the wall, her shawl wrapped tightly around her body to protect her from the cool night air._

_"What're ya doin' out here?" he grunted in response, adding another nail to ensure that the cross was sturdy._

_"I was putting away the barbeque when you came storming out here," she explained, approaching him now, "Is that for Zach?"_

_"Anyone else die lately that I don't know 'bout?" Daryl snapped sarcastically. She ignored his questioned and stood beside him at the workbench, producing a sharpie from her pocket. She took the cross from him and wrote the dead boy's name on the cross._

_"He was a good kid. Helpful. Loyal. Funny," Carol listed. Daryl grunted in agreement._

_"Today it was a homicide cop," he said after a moment. Carol had been amused by Zach's quest to determine what Daryl did for a living before the turn and had played dumb whenever the boy questioned her for knowledge about Daryl's life pre-apocalypse. Unlike Michonne, Carol did not laugh at Zach's guess. _

_"I could see it," she replied. He gave her a look that clearly said that he thought otherwise. Carol sighed and continued, "Well, you're observant. Remember your lecture to Andrea at the Vatos headquarters? And you knew that Shane killed Otis."_

_"Guess I missed my callin' followin' Merle around the damn state," Daryl grumbled in response, "Zach thought I was some hero, but I was just a damn redneck who did whatever shit job there was to make a buck."_

_"You're a leader now," Carol reassured him, though it did nothing to change his mood._

_"Some leader. Was responsible for that damn run. Was responsible for Zach. Fuckin' hate this," he grumbled, grabbing the cross and leaving her alone. For once, not even Carol could temper the feelings of guilt and self-loathing that coursed through him for losing the young teen._

Daryl was brought out of the memory by Rick and Shane who entered the living room and deposited their loads of firewood. Shane was sporting a hell of a black eye and was scowling at Rick's back. Rick, on the other hand, had his jaw clenched in anger and Daryl noticed that his knuckles were swollen on his right hand. It seemed that Rick had thought it prudent to give Shane a message.

"What happened to you?" Lori asked, getting to her feet to inspect Shane's face.

"Nothing," Shane growled, though Lori didn't miss the unmistakeable way that Shane's eyes flashed over to where Rick stood, his face tense and dark as he observed the interaction between his wife and former friend.

"We're staying here for the next couple of days," Rick announced, his attention shifting from his wife to the rest of the group, "There looks to be another storm on its way and after that, we'll need to wait for the roads to smarten up. In the meanwhile, it would be good for everyone to go over some survival procedures."

At this, the group looked to Daryl, their teacher in all things survival. Daryl locked eyes with Rick, noticing the way that Rick observed the way that the group deferred to Daryl rather than him.

"I'll come up with somethin'," Daryl mumbled. He considered doing some refresher training on walker-combat as well as some basic survival skills.

"Daryl?" Shane scoffed, "You trust him with this again?"

Rick swept his eyes over Carol; Jacqui and T-Dog; Glenn, Jimmy, and the Greenes; Dale, Amy, and Miguel. He saw how all of them regarded Daryl with implicit trust and an unreadable look passed over the man's face before he nodded.

"I do," Rick answered Shane shortly before turning away to walk back towards the door, "I'm going to gather more firewood."

Shane pushed away from the wall and headed across the entry way to the dining room, presumably to check on the remaining four newcomers. Lori directed Carl to stay put and moved into the hall. For a moment, Daryl wondered which man Lori would chase. He was answered when he heard the front door open.

"Was that tense for anybody else?" Miguel wondered, glancing around the room. Amy smirked and kissed the side of his head.

"You don't reckon Rick gave Shane that shiner, so you?" Jimmy asked earnestly.

"Maybe," Maggie allowed from her position at the window, "but Lori just definitely slapped Rick."

Amy and Beth got up to join Maggie at the window, while Daryl looked to Carl, who looked horribly confused as he stumbled towards the three older girls.

"My mom would never do that!" he protested, yet a moment later, all four onlookers winced again as Lori hit her husband a second time and Carl was left asking, "Why did she do that?"

A moment later, Lori Grimes was returning to the house and Carol had reached out to keep Carl from rushing towards his mother. Sophia helped, grabbing Carl's hand in her own.

"Finish up breakfast. We'll start training in fifteen," Daryl directed, passing the baby to Hershel and making his way into the entrance, where he found Lori speaking to Shane at the foot of the stairs.

"Shane, he had no right to hit you!" Lori was apologizing, "God, I'm so sorry!"

"Lori-"

Shane broke off when he saw Daryl standing there and an angry, sour look overcame his features as he stomped towards Daryl, snarling, "What the hell you lookin' at?"

"Not a damn thing," Daryl responded, turning towards the door and fleeing the scene. It was better to avoid confrontation where Shane was concerned. Daryl jogged outside, thankful it wasn't raining yet, and approached the area where Rick was angrily throwing firewood in a pile to take back to the house. Daryl said nothing and began picking up kindling. He was obviously being entrusted to teach the survivors how to live and aside from learning how to kill walkers, the next most valuable skill would be to make fire.

"What are you doing out here?" Rick demanded, violently throwing more sticks into his pile, "You're supposed to be training the others.

"Need some supplies," Daryl responded, "Gonna work on basic survival trainin'. Makin' fire, findin' food, shelter, how to clear a place, what to scavenge…that sort of thing."

"Making fire?" Rick questioned, a stick still in his hand, "Why would you focus on that?" he wondered. Daryl shrugged.

"Our group's bigger now," he answered, "It's gonna be hard to keep track of people all the time. If someone gets left behind, they'll need-"

"You think I'm going to leave someone behind?" Rick demanded, stepping towards Daryl with his chin jutted out in defiance, "You think I'm that lousy as a leader?"

"Didn't say that," Daryl said, even though there was a reel playing in his head of all the people that Rick had left behind. Merle on the roof. Andrea at the farm. Carol at the farm. Carol in the future… Daryl shook his head and tried to push it from his mind. He was on his way to changing the last one, but the fact of the matter was that Rick often ended up leaving people behind.

"But that's what everyone's thinking, right?" Rick vented, throwing the stick violently to the pile, "The group…they look to you! My wife…she looks to Shane! Everybody in that damn house looks to anybody but me!"

Daryl's eyes narrowed at the angry man before him, "They look to ya too. They always have."

"You've been the one calling the shots…making suggestions on where we go and so far they've been good!" Rick pointed out, "You're the one training them to survive this world! What have I really done to earn that title of leader?"

"Ya done a lot," Daryl told him, unsure of where Rick's mind was at right now.

"Not enough apparently," Rick growled, tilting his jaw slightly. Now Daryl could see the outline of a handprint on the man's face.

"Hey, Man, whatever Lori and Shane are up to doesn't say shit 'bout the way ya run things-"

"It says that MY WIFE needs another man to keep her safe!" Rick shouted, "MY WIFE defends another man over her husband!"

Daryl held his hands up in defence and backed away from Rick, "Man, listen-"

"Leave me alone and get back inside!" Rick snarled back.

The man needed time alone to vent or rage or whatever. Daryl gathered his kindling and headed back to the house. Thankfully Shane and Lori were no longer cozying up in the entryway, but then Daryl was nearly taken down by a very upset Carl Grimes. He caught the boy before he could run far.

"The hell ya runnin' for, Kid?"

"CARL!" Lori was screaming for her son and from the sounds of it, the yelling had brought out the worst of the baby. He could hear Lily screaming her own thoughts about the situation and Carol now trying to calm the baby down.

"Leave me alone!" Carl yelled, though if he was yelling at Lori or Daryl was anyone's guess.

"What the hell?" Shane cried, now getting involved in the conversation, emerging from the dining room. He saw Daryl with his hands on Carl and suddenly Shane was in the hunter's face, again, "Man, what the fuck did I tell you about keepin' your hands off of Carl?"

"Fine, I'll let the fuckin' kid run outside next time!" Daryl protested, pushing the boy towards his mother like a hot potato, "Christ!"

"Let go of me!" Carl cried, fighting against his mother's hold, "You hit my dad!"

"Carl, I told you I overreacted," Lori tried to reason with the angry adolescent, "Your father and I are going to work it out-"

"Why did you hit him?" Carl demanded.

"Carl, it was a mistake-"

"WHY?" Carl screamed.

"CARL! Don't you talk to your mother like that!" Shane scolded, taking hold of the angry child.

"Don't touch me! You're not my dad!" Carl screamed and a dark, angry look passed over Shane's face, but he let the boy go.

"Carl, you daddy hit me first and your momma was just trying to defend me-"

"She shouldn't hit him!" Carl yelled back, turning to run into living room.

"What the hell?" Derrick suddenly asked, emerging through the French doors that led to the dining room, "What the hell is all this noise?" he shouted, looking livid, "Erin just died! Show a little goddamn respect!"

"Derrick, head back in," Shane ordered, "It's over now."

"This is all my fault!" Lori whimpered, tears streaming from her eyes.

"No, Lori, it isn't," Shane whispered, reaching out to the woman. Daryl restrained from pointing out that all of this was indeed Lori's fault. Daryl understood that people grieved in different ways, but sleeping with your husband's best friend a few days after his supposed death seemed to be a pretty piss-poor decision and one that ultimately led to all this love triangle bullshit. Daryl decided his best course of action was to slink past them and into the living room.

Carl had flung himself onto his sleeping bag, burying his head in the fabric. Sophia had her hands over her ears as she and the others winced upon hearing the cries of the screaming infant in Carol's arms.

"Holy fuck!" Daryl griped, depositing his kindling and moving to take the baby from Carol, cooing, "Dammit, Lil' Whoops. Calm the hell down, Sweetheart. Ain't no more yellin' round here…"

"For now," T-Dog quipped lamely as Jacqui gently rubbed his arm.

"Try this," Dale offered, finding a pacifier in one of the bags. The old man had been tasked to find something to calm the baby down with and Daryl readily accepted to fake nipple. He offered it to the baby, whose cries now tapered to whimpers, and she took it from him, soothed for the moment. He glanced to the others, who were all looking to him as if he could also soothe their problems as well. He sighed, going about it the only way he knew how.

"So, we gonna get to fuckin' work?" Daryl wondered.

0

Between Erin's mourners, Shane, and the Grimes family, the group atmosphere was pretty damn tense.

The newcomers stayed mostly to themselves. Charlie had become silent and angry, quiet for the most part, but if anyone other than Shane or his group approached him, he would snap at them, yelling for them to leave him alone. Casey had also gone silent, almost catatonic. There was no emotion as she went about her days. She was a shell, clinging only to those she was closest to: Derrick, Charlie, and Paris. Paris was the most dramatic, crying at every opportunity, even when she had no business crying. In private, Carol told Daryl that it was probably an attention-seeking thing rather than real grief. Apparently Paris had a habit of dramatizing every little thing, even crying for days over the grandfather that had died two years before her birth of old age. Derrick had become like a watchdog, quickly intervening when someone approached the remnants of his group and doing his best to provide for them.

Shane, for his part, avoided the rest of the group, either sulking or hiding out with Derrick and Charlie. He seemed to sense that once again, he was the outsider and considered to be the cause of the break-up of the Grimes family, not that anything official had been confirmed. Things were tense between Rick and Lori, so bad that they used proxies to communicate. Lori tended to try to stick near Shane, just adding to all the tension. Rick tended to stay as far from her as possible. Carl was horribly confused about which parent to follow and Daryl was reminded of the period of time following Lori and Rick's falling out in the other timeline.

_Daryl had his latest kill, a turkey, slung over his shoulder. It was a juvenile, but it was food. He was almost back to camp when he found the youngest member of the group sitting on a rock._

_"The fuck ya doin' out here?" Daryl growled, glaring down at the earnest little boy who had discarded his cowboy hat for a time._

_"Nothin'," Carl replied._

_"Don't 'nothin'' me," Daryl snapped, "Ya realize anythin' could be out here? Christ, ya got a death wish?"_

_"You're out here," Carl replied._

_"Fuck that," Daryl scowled, "Ya should be with ya mom or ya dad."_

_"Which one?" Carl snapped back, "My dad killed Shane."_

_"Shane tried to kill ya old man," Daryl corrected, gesturing for Carl to move from the rock. Then the hunter proceeded to clean his kill._

_"Why?" Carl questioned, "I don't understand why."_

_"Reckon he wanted to be leader," Daryl shrugged, "Hell, probably wanted to get back with ya mom-"_

_"Shane was with my mom?" Carl demanded and Daryl suddenly realized how he had run his mouth._

_"Ah, hey, not that I know of-"_

_"She cheated on my dad?" Carl asked incredulously. The boy's face contorted in anguish._

_"Ah, shit, Kid, I was running my mouth-"_

_"No, I got it," Carl snapped, storming back towards the camp. From that moment on, Carl Grimes regarded his mother coldly, punishing her for her mistake, yet never revealing that he knew. Even though Daryl later caught him and said that he didn't know for sure, Carl still saw the way his mother withdrew from his father, saw the way she blamed him for so many weeks and months. Carl sided with his father, learning to be a man while he tolerated his mother. When all was said and done, Carl would always regret the way he treated his mother._

Daryl wasn't about to say a word to Carl to tip the scales in either direction, and cautioned Sophia to keep her mouth shut about her knowledge of the Shane-Lori-Rick triangle. He didn't want the boy to regret anything the way he did in the other timeline. Perhaps it would change the direction of both, the son and the father.

The group ended up staying at the farmhouse for three additional days, waiting out storms and holding out hope for better road conditions. During that time, Daryl had focused his efforts on training the rest of the group, showing them how to properly clear a home as well as showing them how to quickly start a fire and how to go about finding shelter and food. He also took them outside to do a refresher on walker killing.

After the three days, the group moved on, camping once on the side of the road and then in another farmhouse at for two more nights. On January 11th, they made it to the small town of Talmo where they were able to find a place to rest their heads, a bed and breakfast known as Mountain Creek Manor. They worked in pairs to clear it out, Daryl partnering with T-Dog. Erin's accident had driven the man to be extra vigilant when clearing a room, checking closets and looking under beds.

The space was unbelievable and it had Rick feeling optimistic. In Daryl's opinion, it was a far step up from the prison. It was nice, rustic. There were no bars on windows or cold cement buildings. The walkers found inside were mostly staff. The other patrons had disembarked to find loved ones so it was mostly empty. There were fences around the perimeter as well as smaller fenced in areas around old tennis courts, ponds, and swimming pools. The fences needed to be reinforced, but it would be good to have something to do. Daryl was confident that they would be able to stay long term, at least until they needed to arrive at the prison, so long as large herds were kept at bay. If the place held, Daryl wouldn't be opposed to building a home at this B&B rather than the prison. Maybe there would be less loss here.

The group scattered once the area was clear, finding supplies and dividing rooms. It was no surprise that the four newcomers stuck together in one of the larger rooms. Shane, Rick, and Dale each took their own rooms. Carl, though still pissed at his mother for slapping Rick and at his father for hitting Shane, was forced to bunk with his mother in the room across from his father. Hershel opted to share his room with Jimmy and Beth, still keeping a close watch on the teenagers. Glenn and Maggie took the room across from Hershel while Miguel and Amy took a room next to them. Jacqui and T-Dog took a single room that was across from the suite that Daryl had commandeered for his family. It was obviously designed for families, consisting of two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a small sitting area. After a day of clearing the building, moving corpses, and blocking windows and exits, the group was tired.

Carol collapsed onto her back the bed, enjoying the soft down comforter. Daryl was right beside her, except he was lying on his stomach and his face was buried in a pillow. Both were fully clothed and aching. Carol looked over at him, "If I ever have to move another couch, it will be too soon."

"Wish I knew what the fuck happened to Jimmy," Daryl groused, "One minute the kid's helpin' me and the next he's rolling around in pain."

"He may have pulled something," Carol said, "I don't know why you guys didn't just slide it instead of lifting."

"The kid said he could handle it," Daryl shrugged his shoulders.

"Baby, we could barely handle just pushing the damn thing," she reminded him. At that moment, their three-month-old decided to voice her displeasure from the next room eliciting groans from her aunt and uncle.

"Mom, she needs changed and I don't know where the diapers are!" Sophia called.

"Go help your girls," Carol moaned to Daryl.

"She asked for 'Mom'," Daryl observed.

"Yeah, well Mom's asking Dad. Please?" she pleaded, batting her eyelashes at him. With a grumble, Daryl heaved himself off of the bed and made his way to the girls' room, grabbing a package of diapers as he went. He found Sophia holding the crying baby and took Lily into his arms.

"Alright, that's enough," Daryl said to the baby, placing her on the bed so he could change her, "Ain't the end of the world, Kid."

"Actually it kind of is, Dad," Sophia reminded him, watching as he removed the old diaper and tossed it in a trashcan near the bed.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Rabbit," Daryl grumbled.

"Do you think we'll get to stay here?" Sophia wondered, reaching to tickle the baby's cheek.

"Maybe," Daryl shrugged, "It's as good a place as any."

"I like it," Sophia chirped, "I get my own room. Carl's jealous 'cause he has to share with his mom."

"Well, I wouldn't like sharin' a room with Lori Grimes neither," Daryl replied, finishing up with wiping the baby, "Where's the damn-"

"Diaper rash cream?" Carol finished for him, appearing at the door and tossing the cream to him. She was smirking slightly, obviously hearing Daryl's last comment.

"Do you think maybe tomorrow Carl could sleepover? Please? It's my birthday tomorrow," Sophia asked, not wasting any time in inviting her friend to stay with her. Daryl frowned. He was still trying to keep track of the up-and-down friendship that his daughter had with the boy. First they're friends, then they aren't speaking to each other on account of Shane shooting Daryl, then they make up, then they rarely speak on account of Paris and Casey's presence, and now, since the two other girls rarely left their guardians and since Carl needed someone to turn to following his parents fight, the two were thick as thieves once more.

"Alright," Carol allowed, "but you two sleep in the living room where we can keep an eye on you both."

"Why?" Sophia wondered, frowning slightly.

"Because I don't like the idea of my thirteen-year-old having a boy in her room," Carol replied simply, making Sophia turn crimson. Daryl suddenly was aware that he did not just have a daughter; he had a teenage daughter. Maybe it would be prudent to remind Carl Grimes of Daryl's impeccable aim.

Bedtime followed the changing and Daryl and Carol brought the baby in their room so that she did not disturb Sophia, though Lily was usually good for a few hours in the night. The baby was still awake, though, so Carol had the little one on the bed between her and Daryl.

"It's hard to believe that thirteen years ago, Sophia was smaller than this," Carol was saying, letting Lily grasp her fingers, "She was two weeks early…impatient, I guess."

"Like her mother," Daryl rumbled, earning him an eye-roll from his woman.

"My neighbour drove me to the hospital. Ed was at work. At the time, I hated being alone, but really, it was probably for the best," Carol continued, "I got to bond with her more. God, it's hard to believe that she's thirteen tomorrow. I feel old."

"Ya ain't old," Daryl responded, chuckling along with her. They were silent for a moment, Carol simply looking down at the baby.

"I'm glad we found this place when we did," she said, "It makes her birthday a little more special. Do you think this is it?"

Daryl shrugged, "Could be. It's nice. We have our own space. The new folks are on the other side of the buildin'. It's secluded so there ain't much to worry 'bout in the way of other groups. We'll be buildin' the fences. Short of a herd bustin' through here, I'd say it looks pretty promising."

Carol grimaced slightly, "If that happens, can we just go rather than fool around with using cars and wasting bullets to try to take them on?" she asked. She was obviously remembering the chaos of the Greene farm.

"Sounds damn good to me," Daryl agreed, "We're on our last legs as far as bullets are concerned anyways. Probably be good to make a couple runs into Talmo to look for supplies."

"I don't like the idea of you going," Carol admitted, "I know you always come back, but everything seems so unstable with the group. Rick, Lori, Shane, Charlie, Derrick…all of that feels so unstable. Jacqui said that T-Dog still isn't doing so well with what happened to Erin, having nightmares and all. It's just…"

"Tense?" Daryl finished for her, "Fuck, this whole thing's a mess to be honest."

"A big one," Carol agreed, "When did you last talk to Rick?"

"Had a few conversations here and there. Thinks he's not right to lead, but I don't think he's planning' on backin' down," Daryl revealed, "Pride thing, I reckon, probably mostly on account of Lori. See it all the time in animals. If Rick steps aside, it shows he's weaker than Shane or even weaker than me. Damn fool thinks I'm in this stupid damn competition to be leader, only fills me in on a need-to-know basis. Fuckin' hate that," he growled.

"What do you want to do?" she asked. He knew what she was asking and the idea of leaving the group now, when they had just found a seemingly safe home, would not garnish them a lot of support if they decide to leave.

"Want to keep this family alive," Daryl grunted, "This place seems to be our best shot right now. Let's just hope it stays that way."

**TBC**

**There. Rick got a couple good slaps to the face, but that was just the beginning. Hope this didn't feel too rushed or anything, but I really want to move the story along. I was studying maps of Georgia and researching small towns. Talmo came up and I thought it was fitting as it was named after a Cherokee leader. There is an actual place called Mountain Creek Manor. I borrowed the name, but I have never actually been there.**

**Next chapter: Carol has some concerns about Daryl's upcoming run (or just my excuse for a chapter full of smut).**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	39. Reassurance

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. It is fantastic to read your thoughts! Here's something to hold you over since we didn't get much Carol or Daryl in the latest episode.**

**Lots of sex ahead.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics indicate a dream for Daryl**

**Song for the Chapter: Let's Make a Night to Remember - Bryan Adams**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

**Chapter 38: Reassurance**

"This place is a goldmine," Shane was saying as the group sat around the large table in the kitchen of the bed and breakfast, "There are two generators and a shitload of gas. We'd be stupid not go get it."

"How far?" Rick asked, drumming his fingers on the table. Shane shrugged and looked to Derrick.

"About three, maybe four miles," the younger man answered, "We'd need a few strong guys and a truck. The gennies are in some sort of backyard fallout shelter and we're gonna have to rig a couple pulleys or something to get 'em out."

"Is it worth it?" Jacqui asked, knowing that if they needed strong men, they would be taking hers. She glanced to T-Dog and smiled slightly.

"We could get the water going," Rick stated, "Maybe some power. It would definitely make our lives more comfortable."

"We're still buildin' up the fence," Daryl reminded, chewing on his thumbnail, "That won't be done for another couple weeks at least. That's more of a priority, ain't it?"

They were discussing the pros and cons of making a supply run to a farm a few miles away, one that Shane and Derrick had found while out hunting for food. Apparently it had its own outdoor cellar and gas pumps. It was a hell of a find and after a week of struggling to keep themselves warm in the mountain lodge, generators would be a sweet find.

"If we leave those supplies out there, someone could take 'em," Rick refuted, "We don't want to pass up a chance."

"I agree, Man," Shane said in his best 'suck-up' voice, "That's the right call."

Rick shot his former friend a frosty look. It seemed that Rick was forever stuck between a rock and a hard place. He seemed to avoid agreeing with Daryl or Shane if he could help it, but most of the time, he ended up unwillingly siding with one or the other.

"Who are we taking?" T-Dog asked, assuming that he would be on this run."

"We'd need the strongest men to move those generators," Derrick supplied.

"That'd be you, Charlie, me, Shane, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl," Rick listed the strongest seven, "Hershel and Dale oughta stay to keep watch and work on the fences. Miguel has troubles with his hand and I don't want to risk aggravating Jimmy's hernia."

Jimmy had been injured helping Daryl move a couch to block an exit and unfortunately for the boy, he had acquired a hernia. Hershel resolved to keep an eye on it, but so far the protrusion on Jimmy's stomach seemed to only pain the boy when he did any heavy lifting or moved suddenly.

"We could do it tomorrow," Glenn suggested, "Start out early and get back early."

"Sounds good to me," T-Dog agreed.

"I'll tell Charlie," Derrick offered. The group looked to Daryl who had remained silent.

"Daryl?" Rick questioned, a warning in his eyes. Daryl's hunch that Rick was trying to appear to be the dominant male of the group was more than correct. After being pushed aside by his wife, Rick had stepped for firmly into the role of leader, maintaining his position through a firm, harsh voice and powerful stare downs. Part of it was an effort to maintain his position in the pack and the other part was his unspoken desire to win his mate back. Lori had taken to spending most of her time in her room of corralling Carl. She rarely spoke to Rick or Shane, perhaps realizing that her actions at the farmhouse had collapsed that tenuous calm that had been created when the three of them had been hiding behind fake smiles and walking on eggshells around each other.

"What the hell?" Daryl shrugged, though before he left, he was ensuring that Carol was well-armed. He wasn't wholly onboard with this plan, but apparently he had little opportunity to vocalize this under the new version of the 'Ricktatorship'.

0

Carol was not onboard with this plan either, though she waited to bring it up until they retired to their rooms and put their kids to bed.

"I don't like this," she announced, rearranging the kitchenette in their suite for the third time that night.

"Think that's obvious," Daryl observed, "Ya ain't stopped cleanin' since we got back and ya checked on the girls three times in the last hour. If ya wanna distract yourself, I'm willin'."

Carol shot a glare at him and huffed, "I'm serious. We're talking about sending all of our best fighters out on one run. What if something happens?"

"Then ya grab our kids, get to a vehicle and get the hell outta here," Daryl responded.

"And where do I go?" Carol scoffed, "Say I have to leave with the kids and you come back here and we're gone? What then?"

"Then I'll find ya," Daryl replied.

"How, Daryl? You going to hunt me down? Track me?" Carol demanded. He came up behind her and stilled her arms with his hands.

"To the ends of the earth, Darlin'," he assured her, and upon her less than amused look, he added, "If that happens…if we ever separated, best place ya could go is back to the farm. I'd find ya there, but we ain't gonna get separated. Ain't lettin' that happen."

"But what if it does?" Carol asked, "What if something happens to you out there? What if-"

"Carol, we could go through all the 'what-if's' in the world, but I'm tellin' ya there ain't nothin' to worry 'bout. I already told ya that I'm always comin' back to ya," he chided, "Ya ain't gotta worry 'bout nothin' 'cept takin' care of those girls tomorrow."

"I can't help worry, Daryl," she responded, resting her head on his chest for a moment. Then she moved to start tidying the sitting area again. He suppressed a groan and moved to stop her again.

"Whatcha worried 'bout?" he asked, "'Sides us being separated or me gettin' hurt?"

Carol chewed her lip for a moment, contemplating her answer before she spoke, "I don't know, Daryl. It's just…it's so hard to explain. Everything's so…tense here. I feel like we're walking on eggshells trying to keep all these people from exploding…"

"I know," Daryl replied, gently rubbing up and down her arms in an attempt to soothe her, "but hey, I'm takin' most of the damn dynamite out with me tomorrow, so ya get a bit of a vacation from that."

"That's another thing, Daryl," Carol moaned, "You WILL have most of the damn dynamite with you tomorrow. With Shane, Charlie, and Derrick there, you have three highly unstable individuals, all of them dissatisfied with the way things are run and two of them are still grieving and are liable to do something drastic."

"If they try it, we got four men to their three," Daryl stated.

"If Rick doesn't side with Shane," Carol reminded him, pulling away so that she could resume cleaning.

"Wouldn't surprise me none if Rick was the one pullin' the trigger on Shane," he told her, "Ya don't fuck with another man's woman and not expect a bullet 'tween the eyes."

"Still, I don't like it," she said, continuing with her cleaning. Daryl didn't supress the groan this time and threw her over his shoulder and carried her back to the bedroom, ignoring her protests. He shut the door and dumped her unceremoniously onto the bed.

"What the hell, Daryl?" Carol protested. He got on the bed too and pulled her to him in a tight embrace as he rested his back on the headboard.

"Enough of this cleanin' bullshit. Ya gonna sit here and have it out with me and then if ya still feel the need to try to distract yourself, ya can do whatever the fuck ya want," he demanded, "Now, ya done gave me a list of reasons why ya don't like it. Anythin' else ya wanna say on the matter?"

She glared at him for a long moment before relenting, "I can't explain it, but I just have a really bad feeling about this. It feels like…it almost feels like I'm back at the highway before the herd came through," she admitted. Daryl frowned, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Talk more, Woman."

"It just feels like something big is around the corner and I've been feeling it even before Shane talked about this run," Carol revealed with a sigh, relaxing against his chest, "To be honest, ever since Erin's death, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop and now…it's just so strong, especially at the thought of not knowing where you are. I don't like not knowing where my family is."

"So what d'ya want me to do?" he asked softly, "Not go?"

"I understand why you have to go and why they need you to," she said, "It just makes me uneasy with everything that's going on."

"I know," Daryl murmured, kissing the side of her head, "but ya know that no matter what, I'm comin' back to ya, right?"

She nodded her head and he continued.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, you and me are in this together, always. Ya know what I'm gonna do when I get to this farmhouse Shane found?"

"What?" she asked.

"I'm gonna find us a set of rings and when I get back, I'm gonna make ya my wife so ya ain't gonna doubt that I'm always gonna come back to ya no matter what uneasy thoughts are running through ya head," Daryl promised.

"I don't doubt you, Daryl," Carol told him, inhaling his scent as she rested her head on his chest.

"Feel better then?" he asked. She nodded. They were silent for a moment as his reassurances took hold over both of them. Then he felt her lips press to his chest through the fabric of his shirt and her nimble fingers working each button open.

"Whatcha doin'?" he murmured, his own fingers playing with her strands of short hair.

"Since I'm not allowed to clean, I have to settle for distracting myself with the man I love," Carol responded, her lips now finding the skin that her fingers exposed.

"Distract away," he permitted, now focusing on his breathing as his woman kissed her way down his neck and found his flat nipple. The woman could do positively sinful things with her mouth and as her tongue flicked against the sensitive skin, his pants became impossibly tight. He grunted in response when she shifted slightly and brushed her hand against his crotch. Her blue eyes flickered open to see the look of pleasure on his face. With an impish smile, she moved to offer the same attention to his other nipple, dragging her teeth gently over his skin. He was definitely going to repeat that move once he got his hands on her. His chest rose and fell as he fought to control his breathing as she moved downwards, using her tongue and teeth as she made her way over his strong abs. Her hands had gone to his belt, working on freeing him from his pants, which she did, pushing the offending article of clothing down to his knees along with his boxers.

"Christ," he moaned when her hands went to the base of his shaft and her mouth sucked the tip. Once again, he was reminded that she was becoming a damn expert in all of the things that made him tick. As she took him in her mouth, running her tongue slowly from the tip and down the underside of his shaft, every nerve ending in his body was alive and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. One hand squeezed his shaft and the other cupped his balls. She licked and sucked him as she massaged him and some very unmanly sounds made it past his lips. Carol paused in her movements and he bucked his hips, desperate for her to move her mouth and hands again. When she didn't move, his eyes opened and locked with hers as he panted. Then she continued, her eyes still locked on his as she moved her mouth over him, squeezed his balls slightly, and made him come undone.

"Shit, Carol!" he grunted as he came hard in her mouth, his hands tangling in his own hair as he rode out his orgasm. For a moment he wasn't sure of his own damn name. Carol wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and kissed her way up his body, stopping at his neck where she nipped at the skin there.

"Good?" she questioned and he could feel the smile on her face against his neck before she bit him again, leaving her mark there.

"D'ya even have to fuckin' ask?" Daryl cursed, sitting up and dislodging her from his neck. Carol looked confused at the interruption and the way he glared at her clothes as if they were personally offending him. He shrugged his shoulders, removing his shirt, damp with his sweat, the rest of the way from his torso and kicked his pants off from around his knees. Then he was on her, his lips inches from her ear, "Ya ain't sleepin' tonight 'til I make ya cum like I just did," he growled, his hot breath and his promise making her shiver in anticipation.

He licked her earlobe and then ran his tongue down the soft curve of her neck, pausing to nip at her the way she did him. He wasted no time in pushing her shawl from her shoulders and pulling her t-shirt over her head. His mouth was on her skin once more, placing kisses on her collar bone, nudging her bra strap from her shoulder. Daryl pushed his hand underneath one of the cups, kneading the soft flesh. She arched into his touch and whimpered as he kissed the tops of her breasts coming closer to the edge of her bra. He stopped moving and glanced to her face. Carol's eyes were shut, thoroughly enjoying his caresses as she focused solely on his touch.

"Daryl?" she whined, opening her eyes to see what had stopped him.

"Ya gonna help me out with this stupid thing?" he grumbled, keeping his eyes locked with hers as he kissed the bit of cleavage that wasn't covered by her bra.

"At this point, I think you're an expert at getting me out of this stupid thing," she panted, feigning annoyance with him as she sat up to fumble with the clasp of her bra. Daryl pulled back, licking his lips in anticipation, waiting for her to reveal her breasts to him. When the bra fell away, he latched onto her nipple, sucking it to a point as his right hand cupped her other breast. He was rewarded with moans that bordered between pain and pleasure. Like her before him, he used tongue and teeth to switch sides, and her hands wrapped in his hair, tugging slightly. That action alone was enough to get the attention of his little friend down south.

Daryl began to move down her body, licking his way down her stomach. His hands dropped to her pants and unsnapped the button. He pulled them down to her ankles, leaving her panties on for the moment. He was going to tease her, make her need this more than air. He moved slower, his hands ghosting over her flesh to the back of her thighs as he brought his face to rest between her legs. He could smell her arousal and when he flicked his tongue out against the fabric barrier of her underwear, she sucked in a breath.

"What d'ya want, Sweetheart?" he questioned, his voice low and gravelly as his light eyes focused on her face. Her eyes popped open.

"Daryl, please…"

"Please what?" he teased, moving his hands in slow patterns over the backs of her thighs. She let out a sound halfway between a growl and a moan and moved her hands down to remove her underwear, but he grabbed hold of her wrists and commanded, "Tell me what ya want, Woman."

"Take them off," she pleaded, her voice thick with passion. He grinned, still gripping her wrists, and caught the edge of her panties in his teeth. It was his first time performing such an action and he would have felt bad about catching her skin in his teeth if it weren't for her demanding him to keep going when he paused to apologize. It took him a little time to drag the scrap of cloth down her legs, but he managed and felt himself go hard again upon seeing his woman naked before him. Daryl licked his way back up her thighs, loving the taste of her skin no matter where he tasted her.

As he neared her sex, she let out moans of approval, urging him on. He slid his tongue over her slick folds; her taste and her scent making him feel heady as he continued to run his tongue over her most intimate area. He got a thrill out of the way she gasped and clenched her hands to fists and a wicked idea wormed its way inside his head. He wondered if she would go for it. He pulled her right hand towards where his mouth was working and used his hand to open hers and glide it over her dripping sex. She didn't say a word, simply moaned as he moved their hands over her, dipping their fingers into her wet heat as his tongue found that magic button that never failed to make her squirm underneath him. As he started flicking and sucking that spot, her other hand snapped away from his grasp to fist his hair again, making him groan against her. That was apparently the right move on his part as the vibrations made her come off the bed as her insides clenched around their combined fingers.

"Daryl!" she cried out his name a little too loud as she climaxed and they both looked towards the wall that separated them from the kids. After a moment of silence she began to laugh softly and that made him chuckle. Daryl moved so that he was on top of her, his lips tangling with hers. For a moment, he thought about how strange it was to taste each other on the other person's lips, but the thought quickly disappeared as she deepened the kiss, their tongues twisting together as her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I love you, Daryl," Carol whispered when the kiss broke, her hands moving down his back.

"Love ya too," Daryl murmured back. He positioned himself at her entrance and thrust inside her, her warmth enveloping him like a glove. He moved slowly, punctuating each thrust with a groan as he set out in his task to help her towards that edge again. She moved with him, her hands massaging his back, digging deeper into his flesh the closer she got. Her body was arched towards him, allowing her to kiss his lips, chin, jaw, and neck in varying orders. Daryl rubbed her breast with his right hand, squeezing the soft mound of skin as his thumb brushed over her sensitive nipple.

"Daryl!" she gasped his name, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling him deeper inside her. He felt her walls twitch and warmth flood around him as she came, her fingers digging deeper into his back. He watched as her face contorted in pleasure as she came and he gritted his teeth and clenched his muscles to try to keep himself from cumming. He wanted to put that look on her face again, feeling that it was imperative that he make this their most memorable coupling yet. He stilled his movements, watching as she came down, looking at him through a passion haze.

"You didn't?" Carol gasped.

"Gonna make ya do that again," Daryl grunted, moving again inside her, making her gasp in surprise at the pace he set for them, thrusting faster and harder and making her come again quickly…or maybe she had still been coming off the high of the first time and he had simply propelled her up again. Regardless, when she came again, he was right with her, this time his eyes locking with hers as they came together.

Daryl was utterly spent, collapsing against her slick, sweaty skin, his breath coming out in hot pants against her shoulder. Carol wrapped her arms around him, breathing as hard as him as she pressed her mouth to his damp hair. He lifted his head and gazed passion-drunk into her eyes, feeling as though their souls were as connected as their bodies were. She kissed him sweetly, taking his head in her hands. It took him a moment to move from the sweet embrace, falling soft from her body and rolling onto his back. He pulled her to him, allowing her to cuddle against his chest, her hand over his heart.

"Never let me go," she whispered to him, her voice exhausted as he felt her eyelashes flicker against his neck.

"Never," Daryl agreed, giving in to his own desire for rest.

0

Daryl woke up early, before the sun began to rise, and simply watched as Carol slept next to him. The night before, he had been so focused on reassuring her that he had not voiced his own feelings of unease, but now, as he stared down at the woman he loved, he began to wonder if there was something to the fact that every fibre in his body was protesting against leaving their bed. He tried to dismiss the feeling, saying that he only felt this way because he had constantly been at her side since they left the storage units three weeks prior. This run for generators would be his first since being on the road again and it was natural for him to be concerned for the well-being of his family. He glanced to the clock in the dim light and could see that they had another hour before Lily decided that she wanted breakfast.

His eyes shifted back to Carol. Her back was to him, but when he sat up, he could see the peaceful expression on her face. She looked years younger when she slept, like she hadn't a care in the world. His eyes shifted from her face to her shoulder, which looked almost blue-greyish in the early morning light. It was smooth, soft skin that he longed to touch. Tentatively, he reached out, his fingers softly touching the back of her neck. He moved his hand slowly down her back, his fingertips passing over the lines of scars on her back.

"What are you doing?" Carol asked sleepily, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Touchin' ya," he murmured back, now pressing his lips to her shoulder. Daryl rolled her onto her stomach so the he could continue running his hands and mouth over her skin. His hands dipped lower, finding and kneading the soft skin of her ass before running over the backs of her thighs and then dipping into the crevice between her legs and finding her wet for him. Carol moaned in satisfaction and surprised him slightly be raising her hips from the bed so that she was on her knees and elbows. He nipped at her back once before he moved, positioning himself behind her, his hands on her hips. Then he thrust into her, mounting her like an animal mounts his mate, and groaned loudly as her quiet gasps and moans spurred him on. He leaned over her, reaching down to rub her clit and bring her to where he was quickly going.

He came first, filling her body with more of his seed, and she was right behind him after he bit down on her shoulder as he released. They collapsed together onto the bed. Daryl kissed the side of her head gently.

"Love ya, Woman," he whispered in her ear.

"Love you," she said back to him, "Are you going?"

"Not for another couple hours," Daryl murmured, "Gotta get cleaned up and ready. Ya stay in bed, go back to sleep. I'll feed Lil' Whoops and get Sophia up."

Then he reluctantly got out of bed, giving into Carol's need for one more kiss before he went. He found clean clothes in the dark and dressed. He moved out into the sitting area and proceeded to make up a bottle for the three-almost four-month old baby. Then he slipped into the girls' room. True to form, Lily Dixon was awake and waiting for her uncle to come feed her, smiling up at him and eagerly taking the bottle. Sometimes it felt like she only liked him for the food, but he couldn't hold it against her. He fed the baby and made sure that Sophia was covered up. He decided on packing his niece into the sitting room so her babbling noises wouldn't wake her cousin.

He put the baby down on the floor while he made sure all of his gear was ready for this run. Then, noticing that he still had time, Daryl sat down on the floor beside Lily, watching as she reached for him and squirmed around, worming her way from her back to her stomach. She lifted her head and made a loud babbling sound, obviously pleased with herself.

"Neat trick, Kiddo," he murmured. He could tell that Lily enjoyed having the space to move and roll around on. When they were on the run, nobody wanted to put the baby down, but now she had a whole floor to play on. The baby gurgled and Daryl reached to wipe the drool away with his shirt-sleeve. Her eyes were still that Dixon blue, and her hair, though thin, fell in light brown stands around her chubby face. She was still toothless, but seemed to drool more than ever. Carol and Hershel both agreed that it would only be a matter of time before they had a screaming, teething baby on their hands. Daryl was dreading that. When Lil' Asskicker had been teething, Daryl had taken to either hunting for days or sleeping out in the watchtower, the sound of her shrill cries were like knives to the skull.

Sophia padded out of her room at around six-thirty, dressed and drowsy as she came to sit beside Daryl and Lily.

"Do you have to leave, Dad?" she asked him, letting Lily grasp her finger.

"It's just for a few hours, Rabbit. Won't even know I'm gone," Daryl promised, "I'll be back."

He kissed the top of Lily's head and then pulled Sophia into a hug. He slipped back into the bedroom, where Carol was just putting on her shirt.

"Got ya knife? Gun?" he asked. She nodded.

"You got yours?" Carol questioned him.

"Got 'em," Daryl assured her, "Be back soon."

"Stay safe," she told him, kissing him one last time.

"Nine lives or some shit like that, remember?" he murmured back, smirking slightly at the familiar parting words. Somehow, they made him feel better. With a final look at his family, Daryl walked out the door to meet with the supply crew.

He waited patiently as Rick explained the plan to take the two trucks to get as much as they could bring back. Shane and Derrick were both smiling brightly, excited for this run to a place that they deemed to be so useful for their cause.

**TBC**

**So what is Daryl walking into? Hope you enjoyed this reprieve. Still looking forward to next week. Pookie had better have a hell of a reaction to Rick's decision. Was very disappointed with the reactions of those Rick did tell. Getting a bit sick of watching everyone kiss his ass.**

**Next chapter: The run does not go as planned and Daryl deals with a change to his dreams.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


	40. Coup d'état

**Author's Note: Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. It is fantastic to read your thoughts! Now we have a difficult few chapters for our favourite redneck.**

*****Italics indicate a flashback for Daryl**

******Bold italics and Bold indicate a dream for Daryl**

**Song for the Chapter: You're Gonna Go Far Kid - The Offspring**

**A Better Man**

Summary: After Carol's death, Daryl makes a desperate wish to save her. Suddenly, he finds himself back in the quarry, staring as she and her daughter cower in the shadow of her husband. With all of his memories of the future intact, can Daryl change life as he knows it?

Disclaimer: From here on out, I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters.

**Chapter 39: Coup d'état**

This farm that Shane and Derrick had come across was larger than Hershel's farm and more modern. Shiny equipment, tractors, trailers, and combines were parked out in front of a large steel shop. If it weren't for the fact that the bed and breakfast was large enough to accommodate their enlarged group, Daryl would have considered moving the group into that shop. Next to the shop, there was a farm gas pump that looked to give both diesel and gasoline.

"Can't we just use the tractors to get these generators?" T-Dog was apparently wondering the same thing as Daryl.

"I told you that the gennies are in some fallout shelter. This way," Derrick directed, leading the men towards the large house. There was a brick entry way in the middle of the yard with a heavy door. Daryl could see a couple small windows on the sides of the cement.

"It goes down some stairs into a kind of basement," Shane explained, "That's where the generators are. If we can get them to the stairs, we could use the tractors to get them up. Charlie, Derrick, you guys go get a tractor. We'll move 'em out."

Derrick performed a mock salute and then he and Charlie walked towards the shop. Rick scowled, clearly not happy with someone else taking charge, as was the norm lately.

"Sounds like a plan," Rick grudgingly agreed, stepping in front of Shane to open the door. Shane deferred to him and let Rick and the other three men go first. They could hear a generator running, which accounted for the flickering lights overhead. T-Dog, Glenn, Daryl, and Shane followed Rick down the steps to where a metal door was closed.

"Just in there," Shane said. Daryl paused on the middle of the staircase. There was something in Shane's voice, almost like it was dripping with anticipation as Rick neared the door. Daryl turned to look back at Shane, taking in the man's triumphant smirk as Rick pulled that door opened. Daryl opened his mouth to speak.

"Rick-"

Then walkers were clamouring from behind the door, eager to feast on the living, and before the four men could move, Shane lunged and kicked Daryl's back, knocking him into Glenn as they fell into a fallout shelter teaming with the undead.

Daryl's head connected to the wall, but he had no time to focus on that as the dead clawed at him. He held them at bay, kicking and punching in order to buy him time to grab his knife from his belt.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Rick was firing at the walkers while T-Dog hovered, protecting Glenn, who was unconscious on the floor. Daryl was in survival mode, ignoring the pounding in his head and the ringing in his ears from the gunshots in the enclosed space, and moving to dispatch walker after walker in a desperate bid to survive. When he glanced to the top of the stairs, he saw the closed door in the dim light and knew that it did not bode well, but he needed to focus on living and not getting torn apart by geeks. It was like one of those video games where the bad guys kept coming and you just had to fight them until the game stopped spawning them.

When the end of the mini-horde finally came, Daryl was exhausted, leaning against a wall with sweat and blood dripping down his face.

"You bit?" T-Dog asked, his voice barely registering over the ringing in Daryl's ears, but T-Dog must have been feeling the same as he was shouting rather than talking. Daryl responded by shaking his head.

There was screaming from the top of the stairs and when Daryl looked up, he saw Rick beating on that heavy door separating them from the outside and screaming Shane's name. To Daryl, it was muffled as he struggled to keep on his feet. He felt someone tapping on his arm and he turned to T-Dog, who was gesturing to an unconscious Glenn.

"Help me with him!" T-Dog requested. Daryl staggered forward and helped T-Dog drag Glenn into the room where the walkers had been penned. It was a simple room with a set of bunk-beds, a gas stove, and a freezer, all powered by a single generator in a corner, and a sink. In a smaller room off to the side, there was a very basic bathroom. Boxes were piled on shelves, presumably filled with supplies.

T-Dog and Daryl managed to drag Glenn over the corpses and onto the bunk, but after that, due to a combination of heat, exhaustion, and injury, Daryl collapsed, T-Dog barely reacting to catch him before he hit the cement floor.

**_Daryl was in the white dream world, but it was different. Neither Merle nor Carol were anywhere to be seen and the walls, though white, looked more like projector screens. He frowned, but then the strange world answered his question, bringing the screens to life, first to static and then to show three familiar, traitorous faces in a truck:_**

**Shane was driving the red Dodge that Daryl had acquired in Barksdale. Derrick was in the passenger seat and Charlie was in the back.**

**"I can't believe it worked," Charlie whistled, "Seriously…I just can't believe it."**

**"We're in control now, Boys," Shane chuckled, his grin stuck on his face.**

**"You do realize that we still have work to do on that subject, right?" Derrick asked, drumming his fingers on the center console, "We're not in control yet."**

**"We got those stupid fuckers out of the way," Charlie griped, "We're fine."**

**"There's still the stupid fuckers back at the B&B," Derrick reminded Charlie, "Dale, Hershel, your aunt-"**

**"She's NOT my aunt!" Charlie snarled, "How many times do I need to tell you that?"**

**"Simmer down," Shane chided, like he was talking to squabbling children, "What're you talkin' about, Derrick?"**

**"I have a Bachelor's degree in Sociology," Derrick revealed, "Thought it'd do me some good, but that was crap and I went back for a business degree. Fact is, I know about human behaviour and we have a long way to fucking go before we're in control."**

**"Explain," Shane ordered.**

**"First off, we're now looking to head up a large group. Including the three of us, there's eighteen people to keep track of," Derrick started.**

**"I can think of some people we could get rid of to lighten the load," Charlie muttered from the backseat, "Old folks, amputees, infants…"**

**"Except we're not going to do that," Derrick told his friend, "If we want to take over, we can't just go in there and start killing people and especially not while they're armed. Besides, why kill when you can put 'em to work?"**

**"Work? How the hell are we forcing them to work?" Shane wondered. Derrick chuckled.**

**"People are so easy to manipulate," he said, "and that is why we need everyone at the B&B alive for now. For example, we're going to need the old vet, Hershel, to deliver your baby. Having the old man's daughters around ensures that he will do whatever we say. Plus, they're pretty easy on the eyes. Next, Jimmy and Miguel would make excellent workers, doing all the things we don't have to. Beth and Amy, even though she's useless with one arm, can be used as leverage to keep the boys in line. Carol and Jacqui are useful for women's work, dishes, cooking, laundry…and Sophia and that baby will ensure that they do what we say. Dale…haven't really figured much of a use yet, although he could be used to keep Miguel in line."**

**"You do realize that we only have so much food to go around and moving with a group so large is a slow process," Charlie pointed out.**

**"Which is why we limit food intake," Derrick said as if it was obvious, "We take what we need and then the rest will be divided amongst the others. As far as movement goes, we need to get rid of all the vehicles. A bus would be perfect. Keep them all in one place."**

**"You're talking about starving people?" Shane asked, momentarily seeming as though he held a conscience.**

**"Not starving," Derrick corrected, "Simply adjusting how much they get opposed to us. Hungry people are controllable people. Same goes for fearful people."**

**"Oh, I can cause some fear," Charlie chuckled dryly, "After what happened to Erin, I will gladly make them fear-"**

**"And you will, however more than fear us, they need to rely on us," Derrick said, "What we need to do is get them out of the comfortable B&B and onto the road. We need to take their weapons, guns, knives, sticks, whatever."**

**"So we're the only ones with food and weapons," Shane clarified, "It makes them rely on us for protection and we can reward them with food."**

**"Exactly."**

**"You know, they won't leave the B&B," Charlie pointed out.**

**"What we need is for a herd to roll through there," Derrick said, "If we get them out on the road, we can then work on disarming them and trimming some of the fat in this group."**

**"But this is a large group," Charlie said again, "It would be so much easier if we just got rid of some of the fat now."**

**"But if nature takes its course, then we won't look like the bad guys," Derrick chided, "Our best move is to get them away from the B&B, find a bus or large truck, ditch the cars, take weapons, and then divide the fifteen up so that each of us are responsible for keeping track of five people. I'll take Maggie, Casey, Miguel, Amy, and Dale. Shane can look in on Lori, Carl, Hershel, Beth, and Jimmy. That leaves Paris, Jacqui, Carol, Sophia, and the baby for Charlie."**

**"And the point of dividing them?" Shane asked.**

**"Crowd control. It's easier to focus on your five rather than all fifteen," Derrick said, "We wouldn't need to do much extra, just keep an eye on them."**

**"Seems solid. Now what?" Charlie asked, looking entirely too thrilled about his group.**

**"We get a herd to head towards the B&B," Shane responded, "We'll lead the walkers there and then we'll get everyone out. We need to get our story straight about Rick and the others."**

**"I thought it was that we got overrun and they got separated in the herd," Derrick said.**

**"Exactly," Shane said, "Not a word about the fallout shelter."**

**"You think they're dead?" Charlie asked.**

**"If they aren't, they will be. That generator down there is on its last legs," Derrick responded, "If they aren't bit, they'll either suffocate, starve, or die of thirst."**

**"So it will be slow, then?" Charlie asked, "Good. They deserve it for what they did to Erin."**

**"Yep," Derrick agreed, "Let's get another herd. It's gotta be easier to lead them then to try to put the fuckers in a fallout shelter."**

**"Gotta be," Shane agreed, rolling down the window and maxing the volume of the CD player.**

**_The screens went to static again and Daryl was left standing alone, fear coursing through him as he replayed the conversation. His family was in very grave danger._**

Daryl winced as he opened his eyes, cringing away from the florescent lights. The hum of the generator filled his ears.

"Drink this," T-Dog offered, holding a bottle of water to Daryl's lips, "Go slow. It's the only one we have unless you've got one in your bag."

Daryl took a swallow of the piss warm water and sat up, "What the fuck?"

"That's what I want to know," T-Dog admitted, "We've been trying to get the door opened, but Shane must have blocked it."

He could hear something like pounding and Rick's frantic screaming from the top of the stairs. He sat up and winced, bringing a hand to his head. He found dried blood crusted into his hair and groaned, "Jesus."

"You must have hit your head on the way down. Glenn smoked the rail when you fell into him. Was out instantly," T-Dog explained, nodding towards the small bathroom, "He's cleaning himself up. You oughta do the same. Can you stand?"

"Yeah," Daryl nodded and heaved himself to his feet. He moved slowly, aware that T-Dog was hovering to ensure that he wouldn't topple over. The smell of death was nearly overpowering, but Daryl ignored it, moving the door opened to find Glenn slumped over an industrial sink, allowing the water to pour over his head. The Korean looked up at Daryl with a look of absolute misery on his face.

"We're trapped here," Glenn whispered, slinking to the floor, "and no one knows what they're gonna do to the others."

Except, if Daryl's new dream was any indication, he did know what Shane, Derrick, and Charlie would do. They would get the others away from the B&B, disarm them, starve them, and eventually kill them.

"We're gonna get outta this," Daryl muttered, reaching to splash water on his own face.

"How?" Glenn whimpered. That was the million dollar question. Daryl had been in some tight spots before, but never anything like this.

"I'll get Rick and after you guys get cleaned up, we'll have a talk about what we need to do," T-Dog offered. Daryl nodded and continued to wash himself off. He felt a bit better, but not that much. His thoughts were on Carol, who would have her hands full trying to get the girls organized in the wake of a herd. Sophia would help and Daryl hoped that Jacqui and the others would as well. The worst part was knowing that Charlie was directly responsible for his girls and though Daryl didn't know what that meant, he had a bad feeling about it.

The screaming stopped and then Rick and T-Dog emerged from the steps and into the main room. Glenn and Daryl moved to lean against a wall.

"What do we know?" Daryl asked. Rick glared towards the door.

"I can't get the door opened. It's blocked. There's a couple small windows, but they're not the kind that open. We're here until someone comes for us," Rick admitted.

"Fuck that," Daryl growled, stalking towards the door, "We have to get the fuck outta here."

"It's no use, Daryl," Rick snapped, sitting down with his head cradled in his bloody hands, "There's nothing we can do."

Daryl scowled at the man as anger and frustration coursed through him. So after Rick beats down on a steel door like an idiot and screaming for the man who had locked them underground, he deems their situation hopeless?

"So we wait to die down here?" T-Dog questioned, "We're almost out of water and there's no food down here. That generator is not going to last forever, which means that the mechanism cycling air in here is going to shut off and we're going to run out of oxygen."

"What else can we do? Please, tell me! Give me an answer!" Rick groaned. Glenn didn't answer, choosing to look at his shoes. T-Dog chewed the inside of his lip and thought hard about Rick's request. Daryl was vibrating with rage and frustration.

"We're up fuckin' shit creek and ya ain't helpin'!" Daryl exploded, kicking an empty cardboard box across the room. Rick got to his feet.

"And you think you are by kickin' boxes?" Rick shot at Daryl.

"Still better than beatin' my fists on a steel door and screamin' like a fuckin' idiot!" Daryl snapped. Rick lunged forward, one hand curling in Daryl's shirt, but Daryl reacted on instinct and his fist connected with Rick's jaw. Rick stumbled back and T-Dog grabbed him.

"This isn't helping anything!" Glenn protested, coming in between Daryl and Rick, "We need to get out of here! Not fight!"

Daryl huffed and paced a little, willing himself to calm down. Glenn was right. Fighting wouldn't help the situation, but hitting Rick felt so damn good. It was a release of the frustration, anger, and resentment that was building against the former sheriff and it had felt real fucking good. Daryl breathed and then focused on the boxes on the shelves. Maybe there was something inside that could help. He took a box and threw it to the floor, spilling Halloween decorations on top of a walker.

"Suppose there's nothin' in the way of supplies in this fuckin' joint?" he grumbled to his three companions.

"We haven't searched through these other boxes," T-Dog admitted.

"Well let's go through the fuckers!" Daryl growled, wrenching boxes off of the shelves and throwing them around the room.

"What the hell?" Rick protested as a box came dangerously close to hitting him and T-Dog.

"I'm not givin' up!" Daryl snarled, "We gotta get the fuck outta here and get to our families before those fuckers do so here's your fuckin' solution! We search this goddamn place for anythin' that can help us and then we figure a way to get the fuck out!"

"How? This thing wasn't designed to be escaped once it was closed!" Rick shouted back, moving around T-Dog and Glenn and cocking his head in defiance. Daryl was in Rick's face, again, much to the panic of Glenn and T-Dog, stalking and glaring at the man who was questioning Daryl's resolve to escape this trap.

"ENOUGH!" Daryl shouted, "I've had it up to here with this BULLSHIT! I don't know what the fuck your problem with me is lately, but if ya don't stop arguin' with me for the sake of arguin', I'm gonna beat ya ass! At least I have a fuckin' idea so get movin' and start lookin' for somethin' we can use!"

Daryl threw down another box and then walked over corpses to see what kind of situation he was dealing with at the top of the stairs. The door leading to the outside was heavy steel, impossible to break through with fists or shoulders. He looked to the hinges and noted the heavy bolts and welds. It was a long shot, but if they could pry the bolts out, maybe they could take the door off. It was risky in that the four men would not likely be able to move the door without hurting someone. He then glanced to the three windows on the side of the wall. They were small, the fogged-glass type that people usually put in their bathrooms and they were stacked diagonally to each other. If he had to eyeball it, each one was about a foot long and wide. They were cemented into the concrete, but there was a chance that they could be dislodged if they chipped away enough of the cement…if they had something to chip it away.

In his head, Daryl cursed the paranoid survivalist that had built this stupid thing. The son-of-a-bitch may have just signed Daryl's death warrant. He wracked his head, trying to think of any other possible ways to escape, but fell short. He sighed and moved to tell his companions his grim news.

The others had some better news for Daryl.

"We found some tools," Glenn announced, gesturing to a set of screwdrivers, a hammer, and an axe, "They were hidden under the bed along with this."

He produced a shot gun case and several shells. Suddenly, Daryl had a little more appreciation for this survivalist. Then Daryl revealed the two options.

"The windows may be the safest option," Rick muttered, looking down at the floor, "That door was damn heavy just to pull open."

"And if we do get one out, we have an air pocket so we won't suffocate," T-Dog agreed.

"But those windows are pretty small. Who's going to be able to fit through…oh," Glenn suddenly realized that as the smallest, he was once again going to be crammed into a tight space.

"Let's get to work then," Daryl shrugged. He was getting out of this damn mess if it was the last thing he did.

"If we focus on the seams, we'll have a better chance at chipping through the mortar," T-Dog suggested, "First, we're going to give one a couple good hits with the axe. It might loosen some of the mortar."

Daryl smirked, "Construction?" he asked the man. Daryl had worked quite a bit of construction in his life and recognized that T-Dog knew what he was talking about.

"That's right," T-Dog nodded.

It soon became apparent that the stairway was way too narrow for four people to be chipping away at the window, so they divided into pairs. T-Dog paired with Rick and Daryl was on shift with Glenn. They would stick to four hour shifts. The crew that wasn't working was supposed to be resting. It was difficult to sleep with the noises from the staircase, but somehow, Daryl managed.

**_Once again, Daryl was left contemplating these strange screens in the dream world. He wondered if they actually showed the truth in what was happening or if they were designed to make him ask questions. The vision of Shane, Derrick, and Charlie plotting sure seemed real enough. He wished Carol or Merle were around. They could explain what the fuck was going on, but they weren't there. It was just him and the large movie-theater type screens. His frown deepened as they came to life, first showing static and then showing Carol's face._**

**Carol was frowning deeply with a hand over her eyes to block the sunlight as she gazed off into the distance.**

**"They'll be back soon enough, Honey. They've only been gone a couple hours," Jacqui assured her, "Wait until they see all this work. That'll show Theodore to say women are crap at building," she chuckled. The two women were outside helping Dale, Hershel, Miguel, Maggie, and Carl with putting up the fences.**

**"I just have a bad feeling," Carol admitted, turning back to her friend to help hold up a board while Carl hammered in a nail, "All day yesterday, I just felt like something was going to happen and today it is worse. Daryl told me not to worry about it, but…I dunno."**

**Jacqui chuckled, "Sweetie, it's your job to worry and after the Barksdale fiasco, I would expect he'd know better than to tell you not to worry."**

**"It wasn't like that," Carol said, shaking her head with a small smile on her face, "He was trying to make me feel better…and maybe make himself feel better about it. I think he was more worried about it than he let on."**

**"I wouldn't be that surprised if he was. After all, he has a lot to lose," Jacqui replied, "I'm sure it didn't sit well with him leaving you and the girls without any protection."**

**"It's not like we don't have any protection," Carol corrected, "We can fight back and we have Dale, Hershel, Miguel, and Jimmy here."**

**"And me," Carl piped up with a grin, looking up at them from under his father's hat.**

**"Especially you," Carol told the boy indulgently. Jacqui smiled.**

**"Still, I…what the hell?" she frowned. A horn was honking in the distance. The fence-workers turned to look down the road and saw the red truck speeding towards them.**

**"Are they back?" Carl asked unsurely.**

**"Where's the other truck?" Dale wondered. It didn't take too long before Shane was out of the vehicle.**

**"Walkers! A herd! Big one's headed this way!" he gasped. Carol's eyes scanned the inside of the truck and she seemed to pale when she realized that only Derrick and Charlie were inside.**

**"Can we wait 'em out?" Hershel questioned.**

**"Nah, they're headed this way," Shane said, panicking, "We have to get the hell outta here!"**

**"Where are the others?" Carol demanded, "Where's Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog?"**

**"They said they was gonna try to lead the herd off, but they got surrounded," Shane lied, "Dunno if they made it. We gotta go! Carl, get your mom! NOW!"**

**"Jesus," Dale breathed and the group now saw the herd that they were dealing with. It was nearly as big as the one that took Hershel's farm.**

**"Shit!" Carol cursed, tears in her eyes as she ran for the building.**

**_"No, no, no!" Daryl yelled as the screens turned to static. It seemed that Shane, Derrick, and Charlie had summoned their herd of walkers. His family was in danger and it was all his fault. If he had just listened to his instincts, if he had just listened to Carol, he would be there with them instead of stuck in a cement trap dreaming about the dangerous situation that Carol and his girls now found themselves in._**

**TBC**

**Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog are is a bad situation and Carol's isn't going to be much better. I got a lot of satisfaction with Daryl punching Rick. The bold part in the dream indicates a vision allowing Daryl to see what is happening while he is not with the group, as I really want to touch on some of the things that go on away from Daryl's point of view. Hope that makes sense.**

**Next chapter: Daryl tries to master his fear and refrain from blaming Rick for their predicament. Carol deals with a dangerous situation.**

**Read and review! Let me know what you're thoughts are about the future of this story. Your reviews keep me going!**


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